I 


GIFT  QF 
HORACE  W.  CARPENTIER 


0 


•  LIFE 


OP 


T  A  IP  I N  G-¥  A  N  G 


Cfeuf  0f  %  (Kfeintse  |nsurnrii0n. 


BY 


J.  MILTON  MACKIE, 

AUTHOR   or   "COSAS   DK   ESPANA,"   "  LIFK  OF   SCHAMYL,"   KTC. 


.>.     '  ■>  ' 


«    <»  • 


*'  There  ia  no  god  bat  Qod ;  and  Tai-ping-wang  is  the  younger  brother 
of  Jesus." 


NEW  YORK: 
DIX,  EDWARDS   &    CO.,  321   BROADWAY. 

1857. 


D5  740 


rARPENTfcn 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1857,  by 

DIX,    EDWARDS    Sc    CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United   State*  for 
the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


:::  V:M•^.:l\ 


MILLER  A  HOLMAN, 
Printers  &  Stereotypers,  N.  Y. 


PREFACE. 


The  facta  contained  in  this  volume  have  been  derived  principally 
from  the  English  journals  published  in  China,  and  the  official 
Peking  gazette ;  from  the  communications  of  missionaries,  both 
Protestant  and  Roman  Catholic ;  from  the  correspondence  of  Mr. 
"H.  Marshall,  Commissioner  of  the  United  States  to  China,  pub- 
lished in  Ex.  Doc,  No.  123  ;  from  a  collection  of  the  proclamations 
of  the  insurgents,  translated  by  Mr.  W.  H.  Medhurst,  sen. ;  and 
from  a  pamphlet  on  the  visions  of  Hung-Siu-tshuen,  by  Theodore 
Hambcrg,  missionary  of  the  Basle  Evangelical  Society,  to  which 
this  work  is  indebted,  also,  for  translations  of  several  of  Tai-ping- 
wang's  poems. 

f  The  Roman  Catholic  authorities  on  this  subject,  at  least,  the  re- 
ligious part  of  it,  are  to  be  accepted  with  a  certain  degree  of  cau- 
tion, inasmuch  as  the  Nanking  insurgents  have  derived  their 
knowledge  of  Christianity  exclusively  from  Protestant  sources; 
and  the  same  stipulation  most  be  made  respecting  the  statements 


iy|86281 


VI  PREFACE. 

yof  many  public  journals,  both  in  and  out  of  China,  from  the  fact 
that  the  foreign  commercial  and  diplomatic  interests,  though 
ostensibly  neutral,  have  a  decided  bias  in  favor  of  the  imperial 
government,  and  against  the  party  of  the  reformers,  who,  besides 
having  caused  considerable  temporary  interruption  to  trade,  threaten 
to  break  up,  ultimately,  the  whole  system  of  opium-smuggling.     , 


CONTENTS. 


PAQB 
I. 

Introdaclion 1 

II. 
He  is  born,  and  called  Fhuh 7 

III. 
Is  sent  to  the  school  of  master  Ting-Jin 11 

IV. 
Ooes  into  white  on  the  death  of  his  mother 15 

V. 

Studies  the  horn- t>ook  of  WangPihau     ......         20 

VI. 

Works  in  the  paddy-field,  and  tends  buffaloes        ....         24 

VII. 
Takes  the  name  of  •'  Elegant  and  Perfect,"  and  goes  to  a  rhetori- 
cian          28 

VIII. 
Attends  the  examinations  for  literary  degrees  in  Canton      -       •         32 

IX. 
Becomes  a  schoolmaster,  and  denies  the  Dragon  of  the  Eastern 

Sea 38 


VUl  CONTENTS. 

PAGX 

X. 
Buys  a  wife 44 

XI. 
Becomes  a  Confucian  philosopher  52 

XII. 

Consults  a  fortune-tellor,  and  meets  with  the  Evangelist,  Liang 

Afah 61 

XIII. 
Falls  ill,  and  is  treated  by  Doctors  Ki-hi,  Vang-sou,  and  Tchong- 

king-ho 66 

XIV. 
Is  taken  up  to  heaven  in  a  trance 79 

XV. 

Is  delirious,  and  chases  demons  through  the  earth  -        •        -  89 

XVI. 
Reads  the  tractjs  of  Liang  Afah,  and  baptizes  himself    -        -        -         95 

XVII. 
Makes  proselytes,  and  orders  a  sword 100 

XVill. 
Goes  to  the  mountains  of  Kwang  si 106 

XIX. 

Writes  rchgious  essays  and  poems 114 

XX. 

Visits  an  American  missionary  in  Canton 122 

XXI. 

Makes  another  journey  to  Kwang-si 126 

XXII. 
Establishes  a  form  of  worship 130 

XXIII. 
Pestroys  the  image  of  Kan-wangye 134 


CONTENTS.  IX 

PAOI 

XXIV. 

Suffers  persocation,  and  goee  home        • 138 

XXV. 

Preaches  in  the  fields I44 

XXVI.  y 

Qirds  on  his  sword,  and  returns  to  Kwang-si  •       •       •       •       149 

XXVII. 
Foretells  the  insurrection I54 

XXVIII. 
Unfolds  the  standard  of  revolt 158 

XXIX. 

Is  opposed  by  the  generals  of  Hien  fung 162 

zxx. 

Claims  to  be  inspired,  and  aided  by  heaven 169 

XXXI. 

The  exploits  of  the  viceroy,  Siu-Kwong-tsin 176 

XXXII. 

The  army  and  court  of  the  Taiping  dynasty  •       •       •       •       186 

XXXIII. 
The  pretended  confessions  of  Tienteh 192 

XXXIV. 

The  descent  of  the  Heavenly  Father 198 

XXXV. 

Schemes  of  the  currency  doctors 90tf 

XXXVI. 

He  marches  northward 212 

XXXVII. 
Descent  of  the  Yang-tszekiang 220 

XXXVIII. 
Nanking 226 


X  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

XXXIX. 

The  Porcelain  Tower 232 

XLI. 
Expedition  against  Peking 237 

XLI. 
The  deeds  of  Heangyung  and  Ke-8hen 243 

XLII. 
•"The  Tai-ping  theocracy 250 

XLIII. 
■^^,^0  Insurgent  Creed 256 

XLIV. 
v/l'he  new  CelesUal  State 263 

XLV. 

Intercourse  with  foreign  nations       ....-.-        268 

XLVI. 
Probable  iasue  of  the  insuiTection 274 

Appendix 277 


"I  felicitate  myself,"  says  Tien-Ke-shih,  "  that  I  was  born  in  China; 
and  constantly  think  how  very  different  it  would  have  been  with  me,  if 
bom  beyond  the  seas,  in  some  remote  part  of  the  earth,  where  the  people, 
deprived  of  the  converting  maxims  of  the  ancient  kings,  and  ignorant  of 
the  domestic  relations,  are  clothed  with  the  leaves  of  plants,  eat  wood, 
dwell  in  the  wilderness,  and  live  in  the  holes  of  the  earth.  Though  living 
in  this  world,  in  such  a  condition,  I  should  not  have  been  different  from 
the  beasts  of  the  field.  But  now,  happily,  1  have  been  bom  in  the  '  cen- 
tral flowery  kingdom.'  I  have  a  house  to  live  in ;  have  food,  tea,  and 
elegant  furniture;  clothing,  caps,  and  infinite  blessings.  Truly,  the 
highest  felicity  is  mine  !" 


TAI-PING-WANG. 


INTRODUCTION. 


During  the  last  half-a-dozen  years  there  has  been 
taking  place  in  China  one  of  the  most  important  re- 
volutions which  has  occurred  in  recent  times.  In  it 
are  involved,  to  a  certain  degree,  the  destinies  of 
about  three  hundred  millions  of  souls,  or  one-third 
of  the  human  family.  The  oldest  form  of  civilization 
on  the  face  of  the  earth,  whence  came  originally  the 
inventions  of  the  mariner's  compass,  and  of  gunpow- 
der, the  arts  of  printing,  and  of  engraving,  the  manu- 
facture of  silk,  paper,  and  porcelain,  is,  in  its  turn, 
passing  through  one  of  those  troublous  periods  of 
transition  which  seem  to  be  the  method  of  Divine 
Providence  for  improving  the  condition  of  man- 
kind. 

The  causes  of  this  movement  are  of  the  gravest 
1 


XAO- 


2  TAI-PING-WANG. 

character ;  for  they  are  to  be  found  in  the  mutual 
hatred  of  the  Chinese  and  Tartar  races,  in  the  ineffi- 
ciency of  the  government,  in  the  corrupt  and  oppress- 
ive practices  of  the  mandarins,  and  in  the  contempt 
entertained  by  the  people  for  both  their  rulers  and 
their  gods.  To  this  state  of  popular  feeling  the  late 
\yar  with  England  has  not  a  little  contributed  ;  for 
It  dcin'OrisjLr§,tQ(J,  in  the  eyes  of  all  intelligent  China- 
cmeijj.the  inferiority  of  their  civilization  ;  while  time, 
jw{tk.its;ex.pei:ici'cp>3  and  observations,  aided  by  the 
circulation  of  Christian  books  and  the  teaching  of 
Christian  missionaries,  has  sufficed  to  convince  many 
of  them,  at  last,  of  the  folly  of  their  idolatry. 

Since  its  establishment,  the  empire  of  the  "central- 
flowery  land,"  which  appears  to  us  occidentals  to 
stand  in  such  stately  repose — a  reign  of  perpetual 
peace — an  example  of  ever-duriug  immobility — has 
experienced  no  less  than  twenty-six  changes  of  dy- 
nasty ;  but  these  have  generally  been  attended  with 
no  great  modifications  of  the  system  of  either  govern- 
ment or  religion.  Thus,  the  Manchu-Tartars,  who 
have  held  the  throne  of  the  *'  celestials"  during  the 
last  couple  of  centuries,  made  no  alterations,  on  their 
accession  to  power,  beyond  seizing  upon  all  the  high 
offices  of  state,  and  compelling  the  conquered  to 
adopt  their  style  of  tunic,  open  at  the  side,  and  their 
shaven  brows  and  hair  braided  in  a  tail. 


INTRODUCTION.  3 

The  revolution  now  in  progress,  however,  contem- 
plates more  radical  changes.  It  is  the  advent,  not 
so  much  of  a  new  style  of  dress,  and  of  wearing  the 
hair,  as  of  new  ideas.  It  is  not  only  a  revolution, 
but  a  reformation.  It  has  thrown  ten  thousand  idols 
into  the  waters  of  the  Yang-tsze-kiang,  and  pro- 
claimed the  doctrine  that  God  is  one.  It  demands 
the  disuse  of  that  fatal  drug  which  is  drying  up  the 
energies  of  the  entire  nation ;  teaches  temperance 
and  morality ;  and  introduces  the  observ^ance  of  a 
Sabbath,  and  the  institution  of  public  worship. 

The  religion  of  these  iconoclasts  is,  indeed,  far 
from  being  pure  Christianity.  But  it  is  a  step  to- 
wards it.  In  fact,  during  the  entire  history  of  the 
human  race,  very  few  nations  have,  at  one  single 
stride,  made  greater  changes  in  their  religious  sys- 
tem than  are  now  being  made  by  the  Chinese ;  and 
it  cannot  be  otherwise  than  that  the  ideas,  however 
imperfect,  of  Christianity  introduced  by  the  insur- 
gents, will  eventually  produce  a  great  and  permanent 
iTect  upon  the  national  mind.  For  it  is  in  the 
nature  of  the  sacred  truths  of  which  the  millions  of 
China  are  now  getting  sight,  though  as  in  a  glass 
darkly,  to  shine  brighter  and  brighter  unto  the  per- 
fect day.  Their  images  of  idols,  thousands  upon 
tdousands,  have  floated  down  the  Yang-tsze-kiang 
to  the  sea ;  and  no  refluent  tide  will  ever  bring  them 


4  TAI-PING-WANG. 

back  to  the  shrines  where  is    now  worshiped  the 
one  true  God.* 

It  is,  indeed,  within  the  reach  of  Christian  hopes, 
that  nations  will  hereafter  be  converted  from  their 
errors  in  a  day;  but,  thus  far  in  the  history  of  our 
religion,  such  conversions  have  always  left  a  good 
deal  of  work  to  be  done  on  the  morrow.  The  pro- 
selytes made  by  the  decrees  of  Constantine,  and  the 
German  hordes  baptized  by  order  of  Charlemagne, 
were  an  approximation  to  the  **  perfect  man"  of  the 
New  Testament,  probably  not  many  degrees  nearer 
than  the  God-worshipers  of  Tai-ping-wang.  The 
inhabitants  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  though  they 
have  been  for  a  long  time  converted  from  idolatry, 
have  not  even  yet  been  saved  from  the  vices  intro- 
duced, in  part,  along  with  Christianity.  So  that,  if 
the  Chinese  insurgents  still  continue  that  practice 
of  polygamy,  which  is  as  old,  in  all  eastern  countries, 
as  the  days  of  Abraham  ;  if  they  have  been  prodigal 
of  human  life  on  their  march  to  empire,  as  have  been 
all  the  great  conquerors  in  the  Orient,  not  excepting 
those  of  times  the  most  recent ;  if,  while  they  prac- 
tice the  rite  of  baptism,  they  appear  to  confound  it, 
in  a  measure,  with  common  ablution,  and  offer  up 
with  their  prayers  to  God  sacrifices  of  tea  and  rice, 

*  See  Note  A,  Appendix. 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

roasted  pigs  and  oxen ;  it  should  be  remembered 
that  in  the  religious  progress  of  nations,  as  well  as 
of  individuals,  we  are  not  at  liberty  to  "  despise  the 
day  of  small  things." 

As  for  the  acts  of  barbarity  laid  to  the  charge  of 
the  insurrection — and  many  of  them  truly — it  will 
be  time  enough  to  throw  the  first  stone  at  these 
God-worshipers,  on  that  account,  when  the  atroci- 
ties of  the  war  between  Protestants  and  Catholics, 
in  the  cruel  days  of  Tilly,  and  the  horrors  of  the 
Spanish  inquisition,  in  those  of  the  gentle-hearted 
Isabella,  shall  have  been  expunged  from  the  history 
of  Christianity.  And  if  the  insurgent  chief  has  come, 
from  having  sincerely  believed  himself  '*  warned  of 
God  in  a  dream,"  and  instructed  by  heavenly  inti- 
mations, to  make  use  of  the  pretense  of  inspiration 
for  the  purpose  of  controlling  and  urging  on  his  fa- 
natical followers  in  a  holy  war  against  the  idolaters 
and  their  prince,  whosoever's  memory  reaches  back 
as  far  as  the  illuminations  of  the  camp  of  Cromwell, 
or  even  the  fervors  of  the  conventicles  of  the  modern 
Quakers,  will  hesitate  long  before  putting  this  extra- 
ordinary prophet-warrior  out  of  the  pale  of  Christian 
hopes  and  charity. 

Tai-ping-wang,  it  is  important  to  be  observed, 
however,  has  never  had  any  connection  with  the 
rebel  bands  of  whose   atrocities   at    Canton,   and 


6  TAI-PING^-WANG. 

Shanghai,  so  much  has  recently  been  said  in  the 
public  journals.  These  are  either  members  of  the 
Triad  society — a  secret  organization,  established  seve- 
ral years  ago  with  the  design  of  overturning  the 
imperial  government — or  adventurers  associated  to- 
gether for  the  purpose  of  taking  advantage  of  the 
present  disturbed  state  of  affairs,  to  seize  upon  such 
towns  and  cities  as  might  be  unable  to  defend  them- 
selves. Neither  have  embraced  the  religious  views 
of  the  Nanking  insurgents,  and  are,  therefore,  not 
acknowledged  by  the  latter  as  brethren,  or  even 
allies. 


II. 

HE  IS   BORN,   AND  CALLED  PHDH. 

Tai-pino-wang,  known  in  China,  previously  to 
the  insurrection,  under  the  name  of  Hung-Siu- 
tshuen,  was  born  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and 
thirteen.  The  place  of  his  birth  is  a  small  village 
in  the  district  of  Hwa-hien,  and  province  of  Kwang- 
tung.  It  is  situated  in  a  level,  fertile,  and  very 
populous  rice-growing  region,  having  the  White 
Cloud  mountains,  near  Canton,  on  its  southern 
horizon,  and  those  of  the  Nan-ling  range  on  the 
northern. 

Here  the  family  of  the  Hungs  has  resided  for 
about  a  century,  it  being  a  branch  of  a  numerous 
clan  of  this  name,  now  scattered  over  the  north  of 
Kwang-tungi  and  one  or  two  other  provinces  ad- 
joining. From  time  immemorial,  its  members  have 
belonged  to  the  class  of  agriculturists,  which,  in 
China,  takes  rank  next  after  that  of  the  literati. 
Several  of  the  immediate,  as  well  as  of  the  remote. 


8  TAI-PING-WANG. 

ancestors  of  Siu-tshuen  having  been  remarkable 
both  for  their  virtues  and  their  length  of  days,  he 
may  well  be  said  to  be  of  good  blood.  His  father, 
Hung-Jang,  w^ho  died  since  the  commencement  of 
the  insurrection,  was  a  venerable  old  man,  who,  for 
many  years,  had  been  intrusted  with  the  manage- 
ment of  the  ancestral  estate  of  the  Hung  family,  and 
had  also  held  the  office  of  senior  of  the  village,  con- 
ferred upon  him  by  the  free  suffrages  of  its  inhabij;- 
ants.* 

By  his  first  wife,  who  was  of  the  Choo  tribe, 
Hung-Jang  had  two  daughters  and  three  sons,  Siu- 
tshuen  being  the  youngest.  This  name  of  Siu- 
tshuen,  however,  is  what  is  called  his  "  literary 
name,"  and  was  selected  by  himself  after  arriving 
at  years  of  understanding.  But  at  his  birth  hb 
father  called  him  Phuh. 

The  house  in  which  Phuh  first  saw  the  light, 
stands  in  one  of  the  back  streets  of  the  village.  It 
is  of  one  story,  is  built  partly  of  wood  and  partly 
of  mud,  and  is  covered  by  a  roof  of  tiles.  A  nar- 
row door  opens  from  the  street  into  a  hall,  which 
has  a  kitchen  and  several  sleeping  apartments  on 
either  side,  and  at  the  opposite  end  a  family  or  sit- 
ting-room.     The  whole   establishment  is  scarcely 

*  Compare  Hamberg's  Pamphlet. 


HE    IS    BORN,    AND   CALLED   PHUH.  9 

more  than  thirty-five  or  forty  feet  in  length,  by 
twelve  or  fifteen  in  breadth.  But  here  swarmed 
three  generations  of  the  Hungs,  besides  half-a-dozen 
idols,  a  buffalo,  one  or  more  pigs,  a  small  stock  of 
fowls,  a  couple  of  dogs,  and  a  cat  without  a  tail. 

The  young  Phuh,  however,  was  by  no  means 
confined  to  these  narrow  quarters,  but  spent  the 
greater  portion  of  his  early  childhood  on  the  mar- 
gin of  a  small  pond  or  mud-hole,  situated  in  front 
of  the  village,  and  fed  by  a  considerable  part  of  its 
drainage.  This  ill-scented  spot  being  a  play-ground 
for  children,  besides  a  resort  for  the  ducks  and 
geese,  the  dogs  and  beggars  of  the  village,  Phuh 
here  developed  his  young  muscles  in  childish  sports, 
and  learned  such  lessons  as  the  rough-and-tumble 
with  both  boys  and  brutes  could  teach  him. 

When  about  four  years  old,  he  having  been  acci- 
dentally pushed  into  the  water  beyond  his  depth, 
and  being  drawn  out  by  one  of  the  older  lads  by  the 
queue,  his  father,  from  fear  of  similar  accidents  either 
at  the  pond  or  the  neighboring  canal,  tied  a  hollow 
gourd  behind  his  back,  to  prevent  his  being  drown- 
ed. But  when  the  little  fellow  made  his  appearance 
at  the  play-ground  with  an  appendage  so  unusual 
in  his  native  village,  though  common  enough  on 
the  rivers,  the  boys  set  up  a  great  shout,  and  so 
laughed  over  poor  Phuh  that  he  was  fain  to  run 


10  TAI-PING-WANG. 

for  home  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him,  while 
the  whole  posse  of  brats  followed,  crying,  "  Eh ! 
gourd  boy — gourd  boy!" 

As  the  child  came  blubbering  into  the  presence 
of  his  father,  the  latter  relieved  his  back  of  the 
gourd,  but  laid  on  in  its  stead  the  bamboo.  This 
was  Phuh's  first  whipping.  He  never  forgot  it,  and 
said  that  it  did  him  good — as  was  the  case,  in  fact, 
with  a  great  many  similar  ones  afterwards. 

But  though  the  rod  was  not  spared,  the  father 
early  set  his  heart  upon  his  youngest-born  son. 
The  other  boys  were  brought  up  to  till  the  ground, 
but  this  one  was  destined,  almost  from  the  breast, 
to  be  a  scholar.  Having,  it  would  seem,  something 
like  a  presentiment  of  the  future  greatness  of  this 
child  of  his  affections,  Hung-Jang  often  said  to  his 
wife  that  the  little  Phuh  would  live  to  make  their 
old  age  honorable ;  and,  fondly  stroking  the  little 
fellow's  queue,  as  he  sat  upon  his  knee,  made  his 
boast  that  it  was  a  full  inch  longer  than  that  of  any 
boy  of  the  same  age  in  the  village. 


III. 

HE  IS   SENT   TO   TEE   SCHOOL   OP   MASTER   TING-JIN. 

When  Phuh  reached  the  age  of  seven,  he  was  sent  |  5 
to  school.  Up  to  that  period  the  only  lessons  he  had 
received  were  those  of  morality  and  good-behavior, 
given  him  by  his  parents,  and  more  especially  his 
mother,  who  was  a  worthy,  kindly  woman,  and 
possessed  of  good  common  sense.  Later  in  life,  her 
son  always  spoke  of  her  with  the  most  profound 
respect,  and  traced  back  his  earliest  moral  impres- 
sions to  the  prayers  she  taught  him  to  repeat  before 
the  little  idol  in  the  hall  of  the  house,  and  to  the 
few  simple  maxims  she  made  him  commit  to  memory 
from  the  writings  of  Confucius. 

It  was  a  great  day  for  Phuh,  when,  having  been 
thoroughly  scrubbed,  both  himself,  his  breeches,  and 
his  tunic,  and  having  had  his  queue  neatly  braided 
down  his  back  by  his  mother,  and  tied  with  a  new 
string,  he  was  presented  by  his  father  before  the 
pedagogue  of  the  village,  to  be  enrolled  on  his  list 
of  pupils.  A  contract  was  thereupon  made  between 


12  TAI-PING-WANG. 

the  parties,  whereby  the  master  of  the  rod  was  to 
give  lessons  by  the  year  for  a  compensation  consist- 
ing of  two  dollars  in  money,  fifty  pounds  of  rice,  and 
of  tea,  salt,  lard,  and  lamp-oil,  each,  one  catty.  He 
was  also  to  supply  the  necessary  paper,  ink,  and 
pencils — Phuh  himself  furnishing  nothing  but  brains, 
and  they  quite  empty.  When  these  preliminary 
formalities  had  been  settled,  the  son  of  Hung-Jang 
was  written  down  a  scholar. 

The  teacher,  Ting-Jin,  by  name,  was  a  member 
of  the  lowest  class  of  literati,  called  siu-tsai.  Not 
having  succeeded  at  an  earlier  period  of  life  in  obtain- 
ing official  employment  from  the  government,  he 
had  for  years  followed  the  profession  of  a  pedagogue, 
and  occupied  the  school-house  situated  in  front  of 
the  village,  at  a  little  distance  from  the  pond. 
He  was  now  getting  in  years ;  his  queue  was  gray, 
a  thing  rarely  seen  in  China;  and  he  wore  a  pair  of 
spectacles  about  the  size  of  tea-cups,  heavily  framed 
with  tortoise-shell,  and  firmly  tied  by  strings  behind 
his  cerebellum.  He  was  a  kindly  man,  of  unwearied 
patience,  and  of  clear,  though  limited  ideas.  If 
sufficient  time  were  allowed  him,  he  never  failed  to 
teach  his  pupils  much  that  they  never  could  forget ; 
for  he  was  as  systematic  in  all  things  as  he  was 
slow.  Whenever  it  was  necessary,  he  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  enforce  the  observance  of  even  the  minutest 


» > • J*      '  ' 


••••-    .*.>. 


HE    IS    SENT    TO    THE    SCHOOL,    ETC.  13 

rules  of  the  school  by  a  resort  to  the  bamboo,  a  large 
number  of  which  useful  reeds,  of  different  sizes,  were 
duly  arranged  on  the  wall  behind  his  elevated  arm- 
chair. The  very  sight  of  these,  as,  for  the  first  time, 
Phuh  entered  the  school-room,  made  his  legs  tingle. 
A  bamboo  stool  was  assigned  the  new-comer,  and 
he  was  directed  to  occupy  a  place  at  a  small  table 
around  which  several  other  lads  were  seated.  This 
continued  to  be  his  post  for  three  long  years,  during 
which  he  diligently  learned  the  arts  of  reading, 
writing,  and  ciphering.  His  first  studies  were  in  the 
sounds  of  the  Chinese  characters,  which  he  learned 
by  repeating  them  in  a  quick,  bold  tone,  after  his 
master.  After  a  time,  he  was  put  to  copying  these 
characters;  and  for  this  purpose,  was  supplied  with 
a  goose  of  porcelain,  containing  water,  a  cake  of  ink, 
a  small  black  stone  slab,  a  hair  pencil,  and  paper 
made  of  either  cotton,  or  the  pith  of  the  bamboo.  By 
pouring  a  few  drops  of  water  on  the  slab,  and  then 
rubbing  the  cake  in  it,  he  formed  his  ink,  as  it  was 
needed,  and  with  his  pencil  copied  the  characters 
from  slips  placed  beneath  semi-transparent  paper. 
To  learn  to  write  and  pronounce  the  Chinese  cor- 
rectly, requires  several  years  of  toil,  even  for  a 
native ;  and  not  until  a  good  deal  of  progress  has 
been  made  by  the  tyro  in  these  preliminary  pro- 
cesses is  he  taught  the  meaning  of  words. 


14  TAI- PING- WANG. 

When  Phuh  was  not  engaged  in  writing,,  he  sat 
swinging  himself  backwards  and  forwards,  and 
chanting  lists  of  words  with  their  various  intonations. 
The  same  was  done  by  the  dozen  or  more  pupils  of 
whom  the  school  consisted,  so  that  the  room  was 
as  noisy  as  ever  was  Babel.  But  Ting-Jin  had  an 
ear  for  every  pupil,  and  great  as  was  the  din,  he 
rarely  failed  of  hearing  and  correcting  the  slightest 
inaccuracy  of  intonation  or  accent. 

Month  in  and  month  out,  Phuh  sat  chanting  on 
his  stool,  or  copying  over  and  over  again  the  same 
hieroglyphics,  or  casting  up  accounts  in  his  abacus 
or  reckoning-case.  Thus,  at  the  end  of  three  years 
of  continual  perseverance,  he  had  made  considerable 
progress  in  learning  to  read,  write,  and  cipher ;  he 
knew  the  points  of  the  compass,  and  the  order  of 
the  months ;  he  knew  the  names  of  many  animals 
and  other  natural  objects ;  he  had  been  well 
instructed  in  the  moral  duties  of  childhood ;  had 
been  thoroughly  drilled  in  the  divers  forms  of 
obeisance  and  salutation  ;  was  become  an  expert  in 
chin-chining  the  images  of  the  gods,  and  the  tablet 
of  Confucius  in  the  school-room;  and  though  in 
these  three  years  his  back  had  not  escaped  the 
bamboo,  he  had  suffered  less  from  it  than  the  majo- 
rity of  his  associates. 


IV. 

KB   GOES   INTO  WHITE   ON   THE   DEATH   OF   HIS   MOTHER. 

About  this  time,  the  wife  of  Hung-Jang  dying 
suddenly,  Phuh  was  removed  from  school ;  the  red 
cord  was  taken  out  of  his  queue;  and,  instead  of  his 
blue  cotton  tunic,  a  white  one  was  put  on  for 
mourning. 

Hung-Jang,  who  had  been  sincerely  attached  to 
his  wife,  showed  his  affection  for  her  by  scrupu- 
lously performing  all  the  ceremonies  usual  after  the 
death  of  a  member  of  a  family,  and  doing  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  secure  her  happiness  in  the 
land  of  the  genii.  No  sooner  had  the  breath  left 
her  body  than  he  closed  her  eyes,  put  in  her  mouth 
a  small  piece  of  silver,  and  going  to  the  top  of  the 
house,  made  a  considerable  hole  in  the  roof  for  her 
seven  senses  and  three  souls  to  escape  through. 
The  red  lantern  which  hung  suspended  outside  the 
house  was  exchanged  for  a  white  one,  and  a  slip  of 
paper,  on  which  were  written  the  name  and  age  of 
the  deceased,  was  posted  up  by  the  door.  _.) 


16  TAI-PING-WANG. 

The  corpse  having  been  duly  laid  out  on  the  hall- 
floor  in  the  best  clothes  of  the  departed,  a  Buddhist 
priest  was  sent  for,  who,  on  payment  of  a  few  cash^ 
prayed  the  one  of  the  three  souls,  which  was  believed 
to  be  in  purgatory,  out  of  that  place,  and  wrote  a 
letter  of  recommendation  which  was  sent  through 
the  fire  to  the  rescued  spirit,  to  enable  it  to  gain 
admittance  into  the  *'  paradise  of  the  west." 

The  fortune-teller  of  the  village,  likewise,  having 
been  called  in,  was  engaged  to  look  out  a  propitious 
spot  for  the  grave.  By  help  of  his  compasses,  and 
after  the  careful  examination  of  different  kinds  of 
soil,  in  order  to  find  a  sufficiently  dry  one,  this  per- 
sonage selected  a  burial-place  on  a  barren  hill  at  no 
great  distance  from  the  village.  The  situation,  as 
he  averred,  would  be  highly  satisfactory  to  that  one 
of  the  souls  which  was  to  dwell  there,  inasmuch  as 
it  would  have  from  the  eminence  a  pretty  good  view 
of  all  the  water  there  was  in  the  neighborhood,  viz., 
the  canal  and  the  duck-pond.* 

The  priest  and  the  geomancer  were  satisfied  with 
a  few  cash;  but  it  cost  the  large  sum  of  five  or  six 
dollars  to  purchase  a  coftin.  This  was  of  hard  wood, 
nearly  four  inches  in  thickness.  After  the  body 
had  been  placed  in  it,  and  covered  with  quick-lime, 

•  Compare  "Annals  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith."  vol.  xiii., 
p.  190. 


HE    GOES    INTO    WHITE,    ETC.  17 

it  was  well  plastered  together  and  varnished,  and 
was  then  allowed  to  remain  in  the  hall  three  weeks 
and  a  day.  During  this  time,  the  relatives  of  Hung- 
Jang  frequently  came  to  condole  with  him,  and 
Phuh  was  sent  around  among  them  to  solicit  some 
substantial  aid  towards  defraying  the  expenses  of 
the  funeral. 

The  day  of  the  interment  at  length  arrived,  it 
having  been  chosen  because  it  was  set  down  in  the 
calendar  as  a  lucky  one.  At  an  early  hour,  the  rela- 
tives of  the  deceased  assembled,  by  invitation,  at 
the  house  of  Hung- Jang,  and  all  moved  in  proces- 
sion to  the  grave.  The  fortune-teller  went  before, 
and  was  followed  by  a  band  of  music,  consisting  of 
a  player  on  a  bamboo  flute  and  a  beater  of  a  gong, 
who  together  performed  a  death-march  sufficiently 
mournful.  At  intervals,  this  discordant  dirge  was 
aided  by  the  wailing  of  two  or  three  hired  mourners, 
and  by  the  outcries  of  the  bereaved  children,  Phuh 
especially  being  deeply  affected  on  the  occasion, 
although,  up  to  that  time,  the  delight  of  seeing 
himself  in  a  white  jacket  had  apparently  gone  far 
towards  making  up  for  the  loss  of  his  mother. 

Some  person  having  been  sent  forward  to  scatter 
so-called  paper  money  in  the  way,  in  order  to  satisfy 
the  needs  of  all  evil  spirits  who  might  happen  to  be  in 
the  neighborhood,  and  all  hungry  ghosts  also  having 


18  TAI-PIx\G-WANQ. 

been  appeased  by  a  feast  of  meats  to  which  they 
were  summoned  by  sound  of  gong,  the  mourners 
arrived  without  hindrance  at  the  place  of  burial. 
Thereupon  prayers  were  said ;  a  few  drops  of 
samshu  were  poured  put  as  a  libation  ;  a  volley  of 
fire-crackers  was  let  off;  and  a  large  amount  of 
paper  was  burned  for  the  use  of  the  soul  in  para- 
dise. A  house,  furniture,  wearing  apparel,  a  ser- 
vant, and  a  good  supply  of  cash,  all  cut  out  of 
paper,  were  sent  through  the  fire  to  the  other  world, 
together  with  a  writing  previously  drawn  up,  and 
signed  in  the  presence  of  witnesses,  stipulating  that 
the  before-mentioned  articles  of  property  should,  on 
their  arrival  in  Hades,  be  duly  delivered  over  to  the 
person  whose  name  was  inscribed  in  the  bond. 

This  ceremony  over,  the  mourners  returned  to 
the  house  of  Hung-Jang,  where  a  feast  was  made 
of  the  baked  meats  which  had  been  offered  in  sacri- 
fice, and  which,  by  the  help  of  a  liberal  supply  of 
rice-wine,  and  samshu,  were  all  readily  swallowed, 
notwithstanding  the  sacred  use  which  had  pre- 
viously been  made  of  them  rendered  them  as  taste- 
less as  the  white  of  an  egg. 

For  thirty  days  after  the  decease,  the  family  did 
little  else  than  mourn — Phuh,  like  the  rest  of  the 
male  members,  going  about  with  a  neglected  queue 
and  unshaven  head.     It  was  a  great  relief  to  him, 


HE    GOES    INTO    WHITE,    ETC.  19 

however,  when,  at  the  expiration  of  that  time,  he 
was  allowed,  in  company  with  his  father  and 
brothers,  to  visit  his  mother's  grave,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  decking  it  with  plants  and  flowers.  With 
pious  hands  they  planted  the  wild  white  rose, 
which,  in  its  season,  would  weave  about  the  head 
of  the -conical-shaped  mound  its  garland  of  purity. 
Lower  down,  were  set  the  bulbs  of  a  species  of 
lycoris,  which  in  autumn  spreads  to  the  sky  a 
purple  to  vie  with  that  of  the  sunset ;  while,  here 
and  there,  were  stuck  an  anemone  japonica,  that, 
late  in  November,  when  all  other  flowers  are  gone, 
still  lingers,  and  blooms  even  about  the  departing 
footsteps  of  the  year.* 

•  Compare  Du  Halde's  ''  China." 


V. 

HE   STUDIES    THE    HORN-BOOK    OF   WANG-PI HAU. 

After  Phuh  had  mourned  six  months,  and  a 
step-mother  had  been  brought  into  the  house,  he 
returned  to  school.  Ting- Jin,  who  was  much  at- 
tached to  his  promising  pupil,  received  him  kindly, 
and,  kneeling  down  before  the  tablet  of  Confucius, 
implored  upon  his  young  head  the  blessing  of  the 
great  philosopher.  A  stool  was  then  given  him  at 
a  table  near  the  master,  while  in  his  hands  was 
placed  the  horn-book  of  Wang-Pihau,  containing 
the  Trimetrical  classic,  the  Millenary  Classic,  the 
Five  Classics,  and  the  Four  Books. 

Though  somewhat  daunted  at  the  sight  of  all  this 
ancient  and  ponderous  learning,  Phuh  set  himself 
to  the  work  of  conning  it  with  as  much  patience  as 
was  displayed  by  the  good  woman,  celebrated  in 
Chinese  annals,  who,  wishing  for  a  needle,  under- 
took to  make  one  by  rubbing  down  a  crow-bar.  He 
swung  himself  to  and  fro  more  bravely  than  before, 


HE    STUDIES    THE    HORN-BOOK.  21 

and  chanted  his  sing-song  with  'a  loud  voice.  As 
from  day  to  day  portions  of  his  task  were  commit- 
ted to  memory,  he  duly  made  his  bow  before  his 
teacher,  gave  up  his  book,  and  turning  his  back  to 
Ting-Jin,  with  all  his  bamboos,  repeated  like  a 
parrot,  the,  to  him,  quite  unintelligible  wisdom  of 
the  ancients.  Thus,  by  diligently  beating  his 
brains,  aided  by  an  occasional  blow  across  his 
shoulders  from  master  Ting,  he  had,  at  the  end 
of  a  year,  hacked  the  entire  horn-book  of  Wang- 
Pihau. 

Then  it  was  that  Ting-Jin  first  began  to  instruct 
his  pupil  respecting  the  signification  of  the  words 
and  maxims  of  which  such  large  supplies  had  been 
stored  away  in  his  memory.  He  commenced  a 
course  of  daily  lectures,  or  comments,  which  were 
only  less  unintelligible  to  Phuh  than  the  text  itself. 
He  explained  the  doctrines  of  Confucius  by  citing 
those  of  Mencius,  and  illustrated  whatever  might 
be  obscure  or  important  in  prose  by  long  recita- 
tions from  the  poets.  However,  mixed  up  with  all 
his  classical  quotations,  which  were  generally  fetched 
from  as  far  back  as  the  days  of  the  Chin  or  the  Chau 
dynasties,  and  with  certain  somewhat  metaphysical 
notions  on  the  subject  of  morals  and  politics,  which 
had  been  taught  him  in  his  youth  and  never 
changed  afterwards,  there  was  not  a  little  that  a 


22  TAI-PIN(J-WANG. 

lad  twelve  years  of  age  could  perfectly  comprehend. 
Thus,  in  commenting  on  the  sayings  of  Chu-Hi  or 
Wan- Wang,  Phuh  would  be  lectured  on  the  duty 
of  keeping  his  clothes  clean,  and  his  face  washed. 
An  explanation  of  a  maxim  of  Confucius  would  not 
be  brought  to  an  end  without  Phuh's  being  told 
several  times  over  to  honor  his  father  and  mother, 
his  elder  brothers,  and  all  men  in  authority.  A 
quotation  from  Mencius  w^ould  not  fail  of  giving 
occasion  for  Phuh's  being  re-indoctrinated  in 
such  rules  of  politeness  as  to  make  a  low  bow 
when  he  was  spoken  to  by  elderly  persons,  and 
to  chin-chin  the  gods,  and  tablets,  with  pious 
gestures. 

Meanwhile,  the  persevering  son  of  Hung-Jang 
still  kept  on  learning  to  read,  write,  and  reckon  in 
his  abacus-case^  as  well  as  to  hack  the  classics.  His 
mind  gradually  grew,  by  feeding  on  the  bulky  stores 
of  food  which  were  constantly  being  piled  up  in  it. 
By  the  age  of  fifteen  he  had  committed  to  memory 
not  only  the  learned  works  before-mentioned,  but 
all  such  portions  of  Chinese  history,  and  literature, 
as  are  commonly  taught  in  the  schools.  He  could 
write  a  fair  hand,  could  read  with  correct  tone  and 
accent,  and  could  even  construct  very  tolerable 
verses.  When,  therefore,  there  was  nothing  more 
that  Ting- Jin  could  teach  his  pupil,  he  sent  him 


HE    STUDIES    THE    HORN-BOOK.  23 

home  with  his  benediction  on  his  head,  together 
with  a  prophecy  that  he  would  some  day  be 
crowned  with  the  honors  of  the  Han-Lin,  or  "  Forest 
of  Pencils  Society."     So  Phuh  left  sch9ol. 


VI. 

HE   WORKS   IN   THE   PADDY-FIELD    AND    TENDS    BUFFALOES. 

To  pass  from  the  school  to  the  paddy-field,  was  to 
take  a  step  Dot  exactly  in  the  direction  of  the  *'  Forest 
of  Pencils  Society;"  but  his  father  being  at  that 
time  in  straitened  circumstances,  Phuh  was  obliged 
to  lend  him  a  hand  in  farming. 

Hung-Jang's  plantation  was  a  mere  patch  of 
ground  ;  but  the  soil  being  a  rich  loam,  and  there 
being  no  lack  of  water  for  irrigation,  it  yielded  two 
crops  of  rice  a  year,  besides  one  of  cabbages  and 
other  vegetables.  He  was  the  owner,  likewise,  of  a 
small  terrace  on  a  hill  near  by,  where  he  raised  a 
few  sweet  potatoes,  ground-nuts,  and  water-melons. 
So  that,  what  with  their  rice,  their  cabbages,  their 
potatoes,  their  nuts  and  their  melons,  helped  out  by 
an  occasional  litter  of  pigs,  a  brood  of  ducks  or 
chickens,  a  dog  now  and  then,  and  a  chance  rat,  the 
Hungs  managed  to  live  from  hand  to  mouth,  and 
bring  the  two  ends  of  the  year  together. 


HE    WORKS    IN    THE    PADDY-FIELD,    ETC.  25 

Every  member  of  the  family — man,  woman,  and 
child — took,  part  in  the  labors  of  the  field.  With 
scarcely  a  holiday  in  all  the  year,  save  a  few  at  its 
commencement,  they  toiled  incessantly  from  morn 
till  eve.  Hung  himself  held  his  one-tailed  plough, 
and  directed  his  buffalo  with  a  long  bamboo.  Both 
trudged  through  the  field,  half-leg  deep  in  mud ;  it 
being  necessary,  in  preparing  for  the  rice-crop»  to 
saturate  the  soil  with  water.  In  harrowing,  the 
buffalo  still  wallowed  through  the  mire,  while  Hung 
rode  on  the  cross-bar ;  but  in  sowing  the  seed,  he 
was  obliged  again  to  wade  in  up  to  the  calves  of  his 
legs.  Harvest,  in  that  quick-growing  clime,  soon 
following  seed-time,  there  is  no  intermission  of  toil. 
From  the  paddy-field  the  laborers  go  to  the  terrace, 
and  from  the  terrace  to  the  paddy-field.  The  nar- 
row roadsides  are  constantly  clipped  for  materials 
to  dress  the  land  with ;  the  bottoms  of  canals  are 
scraped  for  mud ;  the  smaller  children  of  the  family 
are  kept  on  the  watch  to  save  the  droppings  of  ani 
mals,  and, 

"  Lean  pensioners  upon  the  traveler's  tract, 
Pick  up  their  nauseous  dole.'' 

From  all  this   disagreeable   drudgery,  however, 

Phuh  was  soon  relieved.     For,  as  the  season  for 

driving  the  bullocks  and  buffaloes  of  the  village  to 
2 


26  TAI-PING-WANG. 

pasture  came  round,  it  fell  to  his  lot  to  go  and  tend 
them. 

Accordingly,  with  a  gay  heart,  and  a  book  under 
his  arm,  he  set  off  for  the  hill-country,  lying  a  short 
day's  journey  northwards.  Some  of  these  hills, 
being  annually  burnt  over,  yield  a  thin  grass  very 
grateful  to  cattle ;  while  others,  less  fertile,  are  over- 
run with  flower-bearing  shrubbery.  One,  situated 
directly  over  against  that  on  which  the  cattle  fed, 
was  completely  covered  with  plantations  of  the 
single  white  camellia,  from  the  seeds  of  which  a 
pleasant  vegetable  oil  is  expressed.  This  shrub, 
usually  growing  to  the  height  of  six  or  eight  feet, 
bears  a  profusion  of  blossoms,  and  makes  a  hill  ap- 
pear at  a  distance  as  though  covered  with  snow. 
In  this  instance,  the  soil  being  a  clear  red,  the  con- 
trast of  colors  was  very  beautiful. 

A  fiivorite  position  occupied  by  the  young  herds- 
man, was  a  spot  on  the  hillside,  whence  he  could 
overlook  not  only  the  cattle,  but  the  lower  rice- 
country,  and  was  shaded  by  a  thick  clump  of  the 
fragrant  olive  (oUa  fro  grans).  There,  beneath  the 
graceful  leaves  and  large  clusters  of  flowers,  both 
white  and  yellow,  he  sat  chanting  the  moral  lessons 
of  the  early  philosophers,  and  the  odes  of  the  Chinese 
masters  in  poesy.  He  also  began  to  reflect  for  him- 
self upon  w^hat  he  had,  during  so  many  years,  been 


HE    WORKS    IN    THE    PADDY-FIELD,    ETC.  27 

committing  to  memory;  and  the  undigested  mass 
of  reading,  which  had  weighed  somewhat  oppress- 
ively upon  his  brain,  was  now  rapidly  being  con- 
verted into  the  chyle  of  thought. 

They  were  the  happiest  days  of  his  boyhood. 
Then  it  was  that,  taking  courage,  he  finally  resolved 
to  attend  the  next  examinations  for  degrees ;  and  in 
his  playful  moods,  as  if  anticipating  the  honors  of  a 
doctorate  in  letters,  he  amused  himself  with  winding 
about  his  brows  garlands  of  the  sweet-smelling  olive 
branches,  regarded  in  China  as  emblems  of  literary 
merit.  These  still,  thoughtful  days,  wherein  the 
mind  of  the  young  scholar  experienced  the  first 
burst  of  imagination  and  gush  of  sentiment,  were 
to  him  as  the  cool  of  the  evenings  to  Adam,  when 
he  walked  with  God,  or  as  the  nights  to  Jacob, 
when  he  lay  dreaming  at  the  foot  of  the  angels'  lad- 
der; and  when,  at  the  end  of  the  pasturing  season, 
he  returned  from  the  hills,  such  a  change  had  passed 
over  him  that  his  eyes  were  full  of  lustre,  and  his 
face  shone,  not  altogether  unlike  that  of  Moses 
when  he  descended  from  the  sacred  mountain  of 
the  law. 


VII. 

HE  TAKES  THE  NAME  OF    "  ELEGANT  AND  PERFECT,"  AND  G0E8 
TO  A  RHETORICIAN. 

The  young  herdsman  now  resumed  his  labors  in 
the  field ;  but  his  mind  being  filled  with  ambitious 
hopes  of  success  at  the  approaching  examinations 
for  literary  degrees,  he  disdained  to  be  called  any 
longer  by  his  milk-name,  Phuh,  and  selected  that 
of  Siu-tshuen,  which  signifies  Elegant  and  Perfect. 
Every  moment  of  leisure  was  given  to  his  books. 
Late  at  night,  or  long  before  the  break  of  day,  he 
might  be  heard  chanting,  in  a  low  tone,  the  sacred 
lessons  of  the  kings.  His  essays  and  verses  were 
written  over  and  over  again  by  the  feeble  light  of  a 
less  than  farthing  candle,  which  was  made  of  the 
white  wax  gathered  by  his  own  hands  from  the  wax- 
trees  on  the  hills.  Encouraging  his  perseverance 
by  the  example  of  students  who  had  attained  the 
highest  literary  honors  in  spite  of  their  poverty,  he 
kept  in  mind  how  Sung-king,  to  prevent  his  head 


"elegant  and  perfect."  29 

from  nodding  over  the  midnight  page,  tied  it  up  by 
the  queue  to  a  beam ;  how  Che-jin  pored  over  his 
book  by  the  light  of  a  glow-worm,  and  Sun-kang 
by  that  reflected  from  the  snow  ;  how  Chu-mai-chin 
studied  his  lessons  with  back  bent  down  by  the  fire- 
wood he  peddled  around  the  town  ;  and  how  Kiang- 
han,  compelled  to  labor  in  the  fields,  conned  the 
Trimetrical  Classic,  tied  to  the  iom  of  his  buf- 
falo. 

He  also  copied,  in  a  handsome  hand,  the  most 
approved  rules  for  study  laid  down  in  the  books, 
and  hung  them  around  the  walls  of  his  chamber. 
They  were  such  as  these  : 

*'  The  purpose  which  is  supported  by  a  deter- 
mined resolution  must  succeed." 

**  Give  up  the  whole  mind  to  the  study  in  hand." 

"  Every  eighteen  or  twenty  days  review  carefully 
what  you  have  committed  to  memory." 

"  As  the  power  of  an  army  consists  more  in  train- 
ing than  in  numbers,  so  does  that  of  the  mind  de- 
pend more  upon  its  discipline  than  its  know- 
ledge." 

"  Do  not  fear  being  slow  in  learning ;  only  fear 
standing  still." 

"  On  the  eve  of  the  public  examinations  avoid 
reading  much,  for  if  not  done  before,  it  is  then  too 
late." 


30  TAI-PING-WANG. 

"  Let  the  duly  prepared  select  a  few  choice  com- 
positions, and  imbue  his  mind  with  the  spirit  of 
them  ;  he  will  derive  strength  from  this  at  the  time 
of  trial." 

"  Let  the  scholar  reflect  if,  when  locked  up  in  ex- 
amination hall,  with  nothing  but  pencils,  ink,  and 
paper,  he  cannot  manage  his  theme,  what  his  distress 
will  be." 

Some  of  the  relatives  of  Siu-tshuen,  taking  note 
of  his  diligence  in  study,  and  entertaining  high  hopes 
of  his  literary  advancement,  now  proposed  granting 
him  some  small  pittance,  to  enable  him  to  take  les- 
sons in  composition  from  a  celebrated  master  in  a 
neighboring  town.  The  plan  was  successfully  car- 
ried out — some  persons  contributing  clothing,  others' 
provisions,  and  one  a  moderate  sum  of  money ;  so 
that,  for  several  months,  he  enjoyed  the  benefit  of 
having  his  essays  corrected  by  a  critic  much  supe- 
rior to  Master  Ting. 

In  Chinese  literature,  style  is  more  regarded  than 
sense,  and  is  formed  on  models  as  artificial  as  they 
are  antique.  To  be  good,  it  must  have  a  perfect 
rhythm.  Pointed  antitheses  and  terse  phrases  are 
the  highest  beauties.  A  close  following  of  the 
ancient  classics  is  most  approved  ;  while  any  origin- 
ality in  expression,  or  even  thought,  is  looked  upon 
as  in  bad  taste. 


"elegant  and  perfect."  31 

It  was  of  great  moment,  therefore,  for  the  young 
candidate  to  have  the  assistance  of  an  accomplished 
rhetorician  in  smoothing  his  verses,  balancing  his 
periods,  and  filling  his  commonplace  book  with  a 
good  stock  of  well-turned  phrases. 


VIII. 

HE   ATTENDS   THE  EXAMINATIONS   FOR  LITERARY  DEGREES  IN 
CANTON. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen,  Siu-tshuen,  having  his 
mind  sufficiently  stored  with  learning,  and  his  style 
perfected  by  much  practice  in  composing  both 
prose  and  verse,  set  off  on  that  road  which,  through 
a  vista  of  examinations  and  degrees,  was  to  termi- 
nate in  *'the  Forest  of  Pencils  Society." 

The  Chinese  literary  degrees  are  four  in  number. 
The  first  of  them  is  called  siu-tsai,  or  "  flowering  tal- 
ent ;"  the  second,  ku-jin,  or  "  promoted  men  ;"  the 
third,  tsin-szu,  or  "entered  doctors;"  and  the  fourth, 
han-lin,  or  "  Forest  of  Pencils."  The  applicant  who 
attains  to  the  lowest  of  these  honors,  is  rewarded  by 
being  enrolled  among  the  candidates  for  employ- 
ment by  the  state ;  and  if  successful  afterwards  in 
obtaining  the  others,  he  is  admitted  into  the  impe- 
rial academy,  and  is  capable  of  holding  the  highest 
offices  in  the  gift  of  the  emperor.     The  road  to  offi- 


HE  ATTENDS  THE  EXAMINATIONS,  ETC.    33 

cial  station  is  open  to  all,  with  the  exception  of 
menials,  police-agents,  and  play-actors.  All  may 
attend  the  preliminary  examinations,  to  give  proof 
of  their  parts ;  and  it  is  the  theory,  at  least,  of  the 
government,  that  public  honors,  trusts,  and  emolu- 
ments, are  conferred  as  a  reward  of  well-tested  merit. 
The  many  are  called,  but  the  few  are  chosen. 

Before  going  to  Canton  and  becoming  a  candidate 
for  the  degree  of  siu-tsai,  Siu-tshuen  was  obliged 
first  to  submit  to  a  trial  of  his  qualifications  in  the 
chief  town  of  the  district  in  which  he  resided. 
Thither,  accordingly,  he  went,  his  heart  beating  all 
the  way  like  gongs. 

On  arriving,  he  presented  himself  before  the  chi- 
hien,  who  sat  in  robes  of  state  in  examination  hall, 
assisted  by  the  hioh-ching,  or  "  corrector  of  learn- 
ing." At  the  desk  of  the  clerk  Siu-tshuen  gave  in 
his  name,  his  father's,  his  grandfather's,  and  his 
great  grandfather's,  as  well  as  that  of  his  place  of 
residence,  and  was  thereupon  allowed  to  take  his 
position  among  the  crowd  of  expectants,  who  sat 
upon  long  benches  in  face  of  the  imposing  officials. 
Never  before  the  judgment-seat  of  the  hdy  inquisi- 
tion did  culprits  so  tremble  at  sight  of  thumb- 
screws, as  did  these  tyros  on  receiving  the  themes 
for  their  trial  essays  from  the  magisterial  lips  of  the 
**  corrector  of  learning."     From  morning  to  night 


34  TAI-PING-WANG. 

they  toiled  at  their  task,  straining  after  ideas  in  the 
sweat  of  their  brows,  and  scratching  their  queues  in 
frequent  perplexity. 

After  the  essays  had  been  finished  and  laid  before 
the  board  of  examiners,  only  about  a  dozen  out  of 
four  or  five  hundred  were  accepted  as  satisfactory  ; 
but  among  the  favored  few  was  that  of  Siu-tshuen. 
Accordingly  his  name  was  duly  posted  up  on  the 
wall,  and  he  was  dubbed  by  the  worshipful  "  teach- 
er of  commands"  with  the  honors  of  hien  ming^ 
which  signifies  "  having  a  name  in  the  village." 
Thus  was  the  first  step  successfully  taken  by  the- 
son  of  Hung-Jang  towards  the  **  Forest  of  Pencils 
Society." 

Staggering  under  this  load  of  honors,  Siu-tshuen 
proceeded  on  his  way  from  the  chief  town  of  the 
district  up  to  the  city  of  the  department.  Here  he 
was  received  with  still  more  imposing  ceremony, 
and  subjected  to  a  still  more  rigorous  examination. 
The  court  of  learning  was  held  by  the  prefect  him- 
self, having  on  his  right  hand  the  chancellor,  who 
had  come  down  from  Canton,  and  on  his  left,  the 
Kiau-shau,  or  **  giver  of  instructions."  In  the  pre- 
sence of  these  dignitaries  the  themes  were  given 
out,  and  the  essays  written,  as  before  in  the  district 
examination.  The  number  of  aspirants,  however, 
was  considerably  less,  the    ignoble   crowd   being 


•  •  •  ' 


HE  ATTENDS  THE  EXAMINATIONS,  ETC.     35 

barred  out  by  their  previous  failure.  Flushed  with 
recent  triumph,  they  all  entered  the  lists  with  good 
courage,  though  only  few  came  off  victors.  Among 
them  again  was  the  Elegant  and  Perfect.  Accord- 
ingly, his  name  was  once  more  posted  up  on  the 
wall ;  and  he  was  clothed  with  the  honors  of  the 
fu  ming,  which  signifies  **  having  a  name  in  the 
department.'' 

And  now  came  the  third  great  trial,  that  for  the 
degree  of  siu-tsai,  or  bachelor  of  arts,  at  the  pro- 
vincial capital  of  Canton.  Should  Siu-tshuen  suc- 
ceed in  getting  this,  he  might  become  a  mandarin, 
with  a  button  in  his  cap,  or  even  a  peacock  fea- 
ther ;  and,  at  least,  he  would  be  for  ever  exempted 
from  the  disgraceful  punishment  of  the  bamboo,  ex- 
cept by  order  of  the  chancellor. 

To  Canton,  therefore,  he  went.  The  great  city 
amazed  the  mind  and  distracted  the  eyes  of  the  vil- 
lager ;  but  with  the  crowd  of  candidates  he  found 
his  way  to  the  hall  of  the  examinations.  At  the 
appointed  time  he  presented  his  credentials,  and 
was  subjected  to  the  usual  preliminary  search,  the 
object  of  which  is  to  prevent  any  writings  from 
being  smuggled  into  the  room  in  aid  of  the  tyro  put 
upon  his  trial.  His  pockets  were  duly  searched  for 
scraps  of  learning ;  his  finger-nails  were  inspected 
to  see  if  there  were  nothing  written  on  them  from 


36  TAI-PING-WANG. 

Confucius ;  his  queue  was  overhauled,  lest  there 
should  be  tied  up  in  it  extracts  from  commonplace 
or  horn-books ;  and  even  his  shoes  were  taken  off, 
to  discover  whether  passages  from  the  trimetrical, 
or  some  other  classic,  might  not  be  secreted  under 
the  soles  of  his  feet,  like  dispatches  in  the  boots  of 
a  spy.  However,  Siu-tshuen's  person  passed  mus- 
ter, it  being,  in  fact,  as  free  from  any  marks  of 
learning  as  a  tabula  rasa. 

When  the  candidates  had  all  been  thoroughly 
searched,  the  themes  were  given  to  them,  seated 
pencil  in  hand,  at  long,  narrow  tables.  Not  heaven 
itself  could  now  help  them,  but  only  their  own 
wits.  As  careful  a  watch  was  set  over  them  as 
if  they  had  been  in  the  penitentiary.  There  was  a 
Cerberus  stationed  at  every  door,  and  a  bailiff  at 
every  wicket ;  so  that  a  "  pony"  could  no  more  be 
passed  through,  than  a  camel  could  go  through  the 
eye  of  a  needle.  Even  the  windows  were  pasted 
across  with  strips  of  paper,  which  served  to  exclude 
the  air,  of  which  the  poor  fags,  their  very  pencils 
wet  with  perspiration,  were  in  extremest  want. 

The  Elegant  and  Perfect  did  his  best  that  day, 
but,  alas  !  whether  from  having  too  few  ideas  or  too 
many,  whether  from  his  style  or  his  handwriting  not 
possessing  the  requisite  finish,  or  from  some  other 
cause  impossible  to  be  conjectured,  his  essay  was 


HE  ATTENDS  THE  EXAMINATIONS,  ETC.    37 

thrown  out.  Certainly,  it  was  from  no  fault  of 
master  Ting-Jin,  who  had  done  his  duty  faithfully 
by  his  pupil,  nor  of  dame  nature,  who  had  equally 
well  done  hers,  but  in  all  probability  from  the  poor 
boy  not  being  able  to  grease  the  queues  of  the 
board  of  examiners.  But  the  son  of  Hung-Jang 
might  as  soon  have  attempted  to  raise  heaven  and 
earth  as  to  have  raised  five  or  six  hundred  dollars 
to  purchase  the  degree  of  "  flowering  talent." 
Therefore,  there  was  nothing  left  for  him  but  to 
return,  crest-fallen,  to  his  father's  house,  "  having  a 
name  in  the  village,"  and  **  having  a  name  in  the 
department,"  but  none  in  Canton. 


IX 


HE  BECOMES  SCHOOLMASTER  AND  DENIES  THE  DRAGON  OP 
THE  EASTERN  SEA. 

Siu-TSHUEN  returned  home  broken  in  spirits, 
but  not  in  purpose.  He  resolved  to  compete  again 
at  the  next  triennial  examination  for  the  degree  of 
bachelor  of  arts;  to  rewrite  his  odes  and  essays 
seven  times  seven,  if  necessary ;  to  review  all  the 
books  he  had  studied  under  the  bamboo  sticks  of 
master  Ting-Jin  ;  to  commence  a  course  of  reading 
which  should  embrace  whatever  was  most  celebrated 
in  the  Sz'Fu  Tsiuen  Shu  Tsung-muh,  or  "  Catalogue 
all  the  books  in  the  four  libraries ;"  and,  though 
grown  slightly  dim  in  the  remoter  distance,  to  keep 
the  "  Forest  of  Pencils  Society"  always  before  his 
eyes. 

His  relatives,  also,  came  to  the  assistance  of  one 
whose  talents  reflected  lustre  on  all  his  tribe.  They 
determined  to  make  a  schoolmaster  of  him.  A 
suitable  room,  accordingly,  was  furnished  by  one  of 


HE    BECOMES    SCHOOLMASTER,    ETC.  39 

them ;  books,  papers,  pencils,  ink-stones,  black  slabs, 
and  porcelain  geese,  were  contributed  by  others; 
and  a  half  dozen  or  more  youthful  queues  were  got 
together,  and  placed  under  the  pedagogical  care  of 
the  lately  disappointed,  but  now  happy  Siu-tshuen. 
So,  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  after  his  return 
from.  Canton,  he  saw  himself  set  in  authority  on  a 
high  stool,  having  tyros  under  his  eye,  and  a  formid- 
able set  of  new  reeds  hung  up  within  convenient 
distance  overhead. 

This  calling  he  followed  for  a  number  of  years,^ 
sometimes  in  his  native  village,  and  sometimes  in 
others  near  by ;  listening  to  the  same  perpetual 
sing-song ;  correcting  over  again,  day  by  day,  the 
same  recurring  blunders ;  always  patient ;  always 
attentive  to  his  duties;  and  said  to  have  been  a 
strict  disciplinarian,  and  to  have  wielded  a  pretty 
stiff  bamboo.  The  years  slipped  as  pleasantly  as 
silently  away,  while  Siu-tshuen  lived  upon  the  an- 
nual dole  of  rice,  and  other  small  supplies,  fur- 
nished by  his  pupils,  and  devoted  every  moment  of 
leisure  sedulously  to  his  studies. 

Of  notable  external  incidents  in  his  career,  during 
this  period,  there  were  none.  The  days  dawned  and 
set,  and,  in  all  their  course,  brought  no  events  to  the 
chamber  where,  on  his  magisterial  stool,  sat  Siu- 
tshuen.    But  in  the  secret  chamber  of  his  mind,  on 


40  TAI-PING-WANG. 

the  other  hand,  much  was  transpiring  which  was 
destined  not  only  to  give  a  tone  to  his  own  intel- 
lectual and  moral  character,  but  also  to  modify  the 
thought  and  faith  of  a  large  portion  of  the  human 
family.  For  at  this  time  it  was  that  he  first  began 
to  entertain  doubts  respecting  the  worship  of  idols, 
so  much  practiced  by  his  countrymen. 

His  skepticism  is  said  to  have  been  first  awak- 
ened in  this  wise :  In  the  year  eighteen  hundred 
and  thirty-two,  there  was  a  great  drought  in  several 
of  the  provinces,  which  gave  occasion  to  both  magis- 
trates and  people  to  go  upon  their  knees  before  the 
gods  for  rain.  The  Emperor,  Tau-kwang,  "  knock- 
ing head"  before  imperial  heaven,  or  Hwang  Tien, 
prayed  for  rain  by  public  proclamation,  promising 
that  if  it  were  in  consequence  of  his  own  failure 
well  to  administer  the  government,  or  through  the 
fault  of  his  subordinate  ofl&cers,  that  the  earth  was 
so  afflicted  with  thirst,  he  would,  for  the  future, 
"  apply  the  plumb-line  of  rectitude  more  carefully 
to  his  actions ;"  and,  at  the  same  time  declaring 
that,  **  as  he  was  responsible  for  keeping  the  world 
in  order,  he  felt  inexpressibly  grieved,  alarmed,  and 
frightened,  at  the  long  withholding  of  the  vapors, 
and  could  not  possibly  be  put  off  any  longer."  But 
no  rain  followed. 

The  prefect  of  Canton,  also,  his  heart  "  scorched 


HE    BECOMES    SCHOOLMASTER,    ETC.  41 

with  grief,"  sent  out  a  summons  to  all  "rain- 
makers," far  and  near,  inviting  them  to  force  the 
Dragon  of  the  Eastern  Sea  to  send  showers  upon 
the  earth,  and  promising  both  money  and  honorary- 
tablets  to  any  "  priest  or  such  like,"  who,  by  any 
craft  or  art,  would  prevail  with  his  snakeship  to 
grant  the  much-needed  relief.  Still,  it  did  not 
rain. 

Then,  the  governor  of  the  province,  wearied  with 
going,  day  after  day,  in  his  heavy  robes  of  ceremony, 
under  a  tropical  sun,  to  the  temple,  became  angry 
with  the  rain-god,  who,  sitting  in  the  cool  of  his 
niche  in  the  wall,  paid  no  sort  of  attention  to  the 
supplications  offered  with  so  much  loss  of  perspira- 
tion ;  and  causing  a  rope  to  be  put  around  his  worth- 
less neck,  had  him  dragged  out  into  the  heat  and 
dust  of  the  street,  and  there  thoroughly  sunned, 
while  his  excellency  sat  cooling  himself  in  the 
shade.     Nevertheless,  it  did  not  rain. 

Meanwhile,  the  people  seconded  the  efforts  of  the 
magistrates.  The  crowd  filled  the  temples ;  fasts 
were  kept ;  the  southern  gates  of  the  cities  were  shut, 
to  keep  out  the  hot  winds  and  induce  moisture  ;  all 
prisoners,  not  in  confinement  for  capital  offenses, 
were  let  loose,  to  produce  the  same  result ;  and  final- 
ly, when  all  these  methods  failed,  the  impotent 
authorities  were  lampooned  by  the  wits ;  and  the 


42  TAl-PIXG-WANG. 

Buddhist  priests,  who,  bareheaded  in  the  sun,  prac- 
ticed, with  wand  and  cymbal,  their  incantations  for 
producing  showers,  were  mocked  at  by  the  people. 
But  the  dragon  still  sent  no  rain. 

Then,  suddenly,  it  flashed  across  the  mind  of  Siu- 
tshuen,  as  he  lay  one  night  on  his  mat,  that  rain  did 
not  come  from  the  dragon  at  all,  but  from  the 
clouds.  If  the  dragon  had  it  under  his  control,  why 
should  he  not  send  it  in  answer  to  so  much  praying? 
On  recalling  to  mind  several  very  severe  droughts, 
followed  by  famines,  which  had  occurred  within  his 
recollection,  he  asked  himself  why,  if  the  supplica- 
tions and  offerings  made  to  the  idol  were  of  any 
avail,  they  had  not  produced  it  before  the  crops  had 
been  nearly  or  quite  ruined  ?  The  only  way,  it  oc- 
curred to  him,  whereby  it  could  be  demonstrated 
that  rain  followed  prayer  to  the  dragon,  as  effect  its 
cause,  would  be  by  keeping  a  record  of  a  large  num- 
ber of  cases,  and  showing,  from  actual  observation, 
that  the  two  events  were  universally  connected  to- 
gether. But  so  far  as  his  own  observation  had  gone, 
no  such  natural  order  of  sequences  had  been  found 
to  exist.  Accordingly,  before  rising  from  his  mat, 
he  came  fully  to  the  conclusion  that  the  dragon,  and 
all  idols  like  him,  were  what,  among  the  occidental 
nations,  is  called  "  humbug ;"  and  the  next  day  he 
wrote  in  his    commonplace  book  an   argument  to 


HE    BECOMES    SCHOOLMASTER,    ETC.  43 

show  that  the  rain  did  not  come  from  any  dragon  or 
saurian  reptile,  but  out  of  the  Heavens.  This,  at  a 
later  period,  was  reproduced  in  his  Imperial  Decla- 
ration, wherein  it  was  proved  that  rain  was  caused 
by  clouds  ;  first,  from  the  testimony  of  the  senses  ; 
secondly,  on  the  authority  of  Mencius ;  and  thirdly, 
by  the  Ode  of  the  Chow  dynasty. 

Thus  was  the  great  folly  of  idolatry  made  plain  to 
the  mind  of  Siu-tshuen;  and  when,  a  fortnight  after- 
wards, on  the  descent  of  the  long  delayed  showers, 
the  people  assembled  in  front  of  the  village  to  show 
their  gratitude  to  the  gods  by  burning  off  the  tail 
of  a  live  sow,  while  the  animal  was  held  confined  in 
a  basket,  he  felt  indignant  enough  at  the  silly  and 
cruel  superstition  to  have  kicked  every  idol  there 
was  in  the  village  into  the  duck-pond.*  Only  the 
fear  of  the  people  withheld  him. 

•  Compare  Williams'  "  Middle  Kingdom,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  241. 


X. 

HE   BUYS   A    ^NHFE. 

"There  are  three  things  to  be  desired  in  this 
world,"  say  the  Chinese,  "  male  progeny,  official 
employment,  and  long  life."  Siu-tshuen  having  now 
arrived  at  an  age  when  he  began  to  comprehend  the 
desirableness  of  these  blessings,  went  one  day  to  his 
father,  and  expressed  to  him  his  wish  to  take  a  wife. 
But  Ilung-Jang,  who  had  an  eye  to  the  expense 
involved  in  such  a  proceeding,  would  have  preferred 
his  deferring  this  step  for  another  year  or  more.  He, 
therefore,  suggested  to  his  son  that  he  was  yet  too 
young  to  think  of  taking  upon  himself  the  marital 
responsibilities  ;  but  the  latter,  though  entertaining 
the  most  profound  respect  for  his  father's  opinions, 
could  not  be  brought  to  accept  this  view  of  the  sub- 
ject. 

To  change  the  argument,  then,  Hung-Jang  threw 
out  some  of  those  disparaging  views  of  the  sex  which 
prevail  in  China ;   and  observed  to  Siu-tshuen  that 


HE    BUYS    A    WIFE.  45 

young  men  at  his  time  of  life  generally  entertained 
very  exaggerated  notions  of  the  value  of  wives  ;  for 
it  was  very  little  after  all  that  they  were  capable  of 
doing,  or  comprehending.  But  the  young  Hung, 
again  making  a  low  bow,  begged  leave  respectfully 
to  differ  from  his  father,  and,  by  permission,  recited 
an  extract  from  a  distinguished  writer,  which,  as 
it  happened,  he  had  just  committed  to  memory. 
"  Monkeys,"  says  Luchau,  "  may  be  taught  to  play 
antics  ;  dogs  to  tread  a  mill ;  cats  to  run  round  a 
cylinder;  and  parrots  to  recite  verses.  Since,  then, 
it  is  manifest  that  some  birds  and  beasts  may  be 
taught  to  understand  human  affairs,  how  much  more 
so  may  young  wives,  who  after  all  are  human 
beings  ?" 

So  Hung-Jang,  finding  the  heart  of  his  son  set 
upon  immediately  dividing  his  felicity  with  another, 
promised  to  take  the  subject  into  consideration,  and 
speak  with  his  wife  about  it.  The  father  was,  in 
fact,  scarcely  less  anxious  for  the  son  to  marry  than 
he  himself  could  be ;  he  had  even  betrothed  him  from 
infancy  to  a  neighbor's  daughter,  whose  death  the 
year  preceding  had  "  spilled  the  tea ;"  and  it  was 
only  from  the  narrowness  of  his  means  that  he  had 
not  before  provided  for  this,  his  favorite  son's  settle- 
ment. Siu-tshuen  himself,  however,  had  laid  by  a 
small  sum  of  money  out  of  his  salary  as  a  teacher  ; 


46  TAI-PING-WANG. 

and  the  economical  objection  being  thereby  in  a 
measure  obviated,  it  was  resolved  to  make  up  a 
match  without  delay. 

There  was  no  difficulty  in  finding  a  damsel,  once 
the  money  raised  to  pay  for  her.  On  the  recom- 
mendation of  his  wife,  Hung-Jang  made  selection  of 
the  daughter  of  a  respectable  rice-planter  who  lived 
in  a  neighboring  village,  and  whose  pecuniary 
means  were  about  the  same  as  his  own. 

This  point  having  being  settled,  a  mei-jin,  or  go- 
between,  was  called  in,  who,  being  a  widow  some- 
what advanced  in  life,  knew  perfectly  well  the 
character  and  business  .of  every  person  in  the 
villages  near  by,  and  was  reputed  to  be  the  most 
skillful  match-maker  in  the  whole  district  of  Hwa- 
hien.  This  person  was  sent  by  Hung-Jang  and  his 
eldest  son  to  the  father  and  elder  brother  of  the 
young  woman,  to  ask  her  name  and  the  hour  of  her 
birth,  in  order  to  cast  a  horoscope,  preparatory  to 
making  proposals  of  marriage. 

The  stars  having  been  found  to  be  favorable  to 
the  union,  the  go-between  was  further  directed  to 
open  negotiations  for  the  hand  of  the  young  woman, 
and  was  authorized  to  bid  as  high  as  twenty  dollars 
for  it — the  usual  price  in  Ilvva-hien. 

These  terms  were  accepted  without  much  hag- 
gling.    The  assent  of  the  party  of  the  second  part 


HE    BUYS    A    WIFE.  47 

was^duly  signified  in  writing,  and  some  small  pre- 
sents were  exchanged  between  the  families.  Those 
sent  by  Hung-Jang  consisted  of  a  ham,  a  small 
quantity  of  vermicelli,  fruits,  and  dried  melon  seeds, 
the  reception  of  which  was  honored  by  a  salute  of 
fire-crackers. 

When  the  day  arrived,  which  had  been  fixed  upon 
by  the  go-between  for  the  performance  of  the  mar- 
riage ceremony  on  account  of  its  being  a  lucky  one, 
the  relatives  of  Hung-Jang  assembled  at  his  house 
before  mid-day,  and  moved  thence  in  procession  to 
the  residence  of  the  father  of  the  bride,  in  order  to 
fetch  her  to  her  new  home.  The  musicians  in  attend- 
ance were  the  same  blower  of  the  flute  and  beater 
of  the  gong  who  had  led  the  march  to  the  grave  of 
Hung-Jang's  first  wife.  They  now  played,  how^ 
ever,  a  merry  quick-step,  while  the  procession 
was  gay  with  banners,  umbrellas,  lanterns,  and 
flambeaux. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  procession  at  the  residence 
of  the  bride,  she  came  forth,  enveloped  in  a  broad 
mantle,  and  an  umbrella  hat  so  large  as  to  rest  on 
her  shoulders.  A  wha-hien,  or  red  sedan-chair,  being 
in  attendance,  she  took  her  seat  in  it,  and  was  there- 
upon carefully  locked  in  by  a  servant,  who  was  in- 
structed to  deliver  the  key  into  the  hands  of  the 
bridegroom.     This  is  a  precaution  always  taken  in 


48  TAI-PIXG-WANG. 

China  to  prevent  any  exchange  of  persons  on  the 
way,  whereby  a  gentleman  might  be  defrauded  of 
the  lady  he  had  bargained  for,  and  made  to  espouse 
another  not  worth  half  the  money. 

A  small  roasted  pig  having  been  placed  by  the 
roadside  to  divert  the  attention  of  hungry  and  evil- 
disposed  hobgoblins,  the  procession  passed  to  and 
fro  in  safety.  On  its  return,  Siu-tshuen,  attired  in 
a  new  dress  of  blue  cotton,  received  his  bride  at  the 
door,  and  conducted  her  directly  to  his  chamber. 
Then,  the  mantle  and  umbrella-hat  being  removed, 
he  for  the  first  time  beheld  the  woman  destined  to 
be  his  wife. 

Fortunately,  her  appearance  was  satisfactory. 
He  first  examined  her  face,  and  found  it  not  desti- 
tute of  beauty.  He  then  took  the  measure  of  her 
foot,  and  made  it  not  over  five  and  a  quarter  inches. 
The  person  was  suiliciently  thin  to  gratify  his  taste ; 
her  hair  was  neatly  arranged  on  the  top  of  her  head, 
with  natural  flowers  in  it ;  and  her  tunic  and  petti- 
coat were  well  made  of  good  cloth.  In  short,  she 
was  a  bargain ;  and  he  felt  no  disposition  to  show 
her  back  to  her  sedan,  and  send  her  home,  with  the 
loss  of  the  twenty  dollars  which  had  been  paid  for 
her. 

This  inspection  of  his  prize  finished,  Siu-tshuen 
gave  way  to  his  female  relations,  who,  on  being  ad- 


HE    BUYS    A    WIFE.  49 

mitted  into  the  chamber,  subjected  the  new  mem- 
ber of  the  family  to  a  scrutiny  still  more  rigid. 
They  did  not  find  her  at  all  to  their  mind.  Her  nose 
was  too  high,  her  cheek-bones  too  low,  and  her  eyes 
not  sufficiently  oblique;  her  face  was  too  much 
rouged,  and  her  eye-brows  not  made  black  enough ; 
her  foot  would  do,  but  her  hair  had  too  many  white 
jasmines  in  it ;  and  the  hang  of  her  petticoat  was 
certainly  not  what  it  should  be.  In  fact,  the  poor 
thing  was  quite  pulled  to  pieces.  But  having  the 
good  sense  to  receive  all  this  captious  criticism  with 
good  temper,  she  afterwards  was  thought  better  of ; 
and  the  feeling  finally  prevailed  among  the  company 
that  if  the  bridegroom  was  satisfied,  they  might  as 
well  be  80  themselves. 

The  nuptial  ceremonies  were  terminated,  not  by 
the  benediction  of  a  priest,  that  not  being  the  cus- 
tom of  the  country,  but  by  a  great  feast,  and  plenty 
of  tea  and  whisky.  Each  guest,  on  receiving  his 
invitation,  had  sent  in  return  a  sum  of  money  equiva- 
lent to  the  cost  of  the  eatables  he  might  be  expect- 
ed to  consume  on  the  occasion,  being,  on  an  average, 
about  ten  cents.  Accordingly,  a  bountiful  table 
was  spread  with  fish,  poultry^,  vegetables,  fruits,  and 
in  the  midst,  the  baked  pig,  brought  in  from  the 
roadside  after  it  had  sufficiently  appeased  the  appe- 
tite of  the  demons. 


50  TAI-PING-WANG. 

The  supply  was  not  greater  than  the  demand ;  for 
Hung-Jang's  house  was  packed  as  full  of  guests  as 
a  drum  with  figs ;  and  every  one  of  them  was  dis- 
posed to  get  his  money's  worth.  There  were,  in- 
deed, no  such  costly  delicacies  as  birds'  nests,  sea- 
slugs,  or  bear's  paws ;  as,  on  the  other  hand,  there 
were  no  such  vulgar  ones  as  mice,  snakes,  owls,  or 
small  insects.  At  least,  the  only  exception  was  a 
dish  of  cockroaches,  done  in  castor  oil.  But  besides 
the  eatables,  there  was  a  good  supply  of  sam-shu, 
rice-wine,  and  tea,  of  fair  quality,  though  not  equal 
to  ."  old  man's  eyebrow."  The  guests  drank  the 
bride's  health  in  cups  which,  when  inverted,  left 
not  so  much  as  a  bead  on  the  rim,  and  plied  the 
bridegroom,  or  *'  new  man,"  with  liquor  pretty 
hard  up  aginst  the  limits  of  sobriety. 

So  the  marriage-day  closed  with  pleasant  mirth. 
The  ancestral  tablets  of  the  house  were  duly  wor- 
shiped ;  prostrations  were  gone  through  with  by 
the  young  couple  before  the  parents  ;  and  the  bride 
made  the  usual  obeisance  to  a  goose,  as  an  emblem 
of  conjugal  fidelity.  A  ring  was  presented  to  her 
by  her  female  relatives ;  while  the  male  gave  a  lan- 
tern to  her  husband.  It  then  remained  only  that 
Hung-Jang  should  set  upon  his  son's  head  the  cap 
of  manhood,  and  bestow  on  him  an  additional  name 
to  mark  his  connection  with  the  family.     This  was 


HE    BUYS    A    WIFE.  51 

done  with  the  usual  formalities ;  and  he,  who  had 
begun  life  with  the  monosyllabic  appellation  of 
Phuh,  was  thenceforth  to  be  known  as  Hung-Kung- 
Phuh-Siu-tshuen,  having  as  many  titles  as  a  pacha 
has  tails. 


XI. 

HE    BECOMES    A    CONFTCIAN    PHILOSOPHER. 

A  SHORT  time  after  the  termination  of  his  honey- 
moon, Siu-tshuen  opened  a  school  in  a  village  about 
ten  miles  from  home;  but  his  wife  remained  to 
assist  in  the  labors  of  the  family. 

This  village  is  situated  on  the  shore  of  a  small 
lake,  and  is  called  Water- Lily,  from  the  profusion 
of  lotus  plants  which  float  on  its  waters.  Through 
the  summer  and  autumn,  the  margin  is  covered  with 
the  broad,  green  leaves,  and  showy  flowers,  with 
tints  white,  red,  and  yellow,  of  this  nclumhium 
speciosum ;  while  the  hills,  which  rise  abruptly  from 
the  shore  opposite  that  on  which  stands  the  village, 
are  draped  with  the  lilac  of  the  daphne,  and  the  purple 
of  the  hiidlca  Undleyana :  so  that,  when  to  this  floral 
display  is  added  the  gaudy  and  odoriferous  beauty 
of  the  jasmines,  the  sweet-briers,  the  azalias,  the 
magnolias,  the  oranges,  and  pomegranates,  which  fill 
all  the  roadside  hedges,  it  may  be  said  of  Water- 


HE    BECOMES    A    CONFUCIAN    PHILOSOPHER.       53 

Lily  that  it  well  deserves  its  place  in  the  "  central 
land  of  flowers." 

Indeed,  its  lake  is  a  picture  in  miniature  of  that 
of  Sy-hoo,  in  the  province  of  Che-keang,  so  famed  in 
Chinese  poetry  and  fiction,  where,  within  the  circum- 
ference of  six  miles  of  shore,  the  pleasure-barges  vie 
with  the  lotus-blossoms,  both  in  gaudiness  and  in 
numbers ;  where  the  limpid,  glassy  waters  reflect 
the  fair  forms  of  the  belles  of  Suchau,  standing 
as  graceful  at  the  prow  as  the  water-lilies  on  their 
stems ;  and  where,  through  all  the  genial  season  of 
the  year,  life  is  a  mere  chase  after  pleasure,  which 
is  pursued  with  sails  or  oars. 

But  the  sweetly-scented  shores  of  the  lake  of 
Water-Lily  allured  Siu-tshuen  to  meditation,  not  to 
pleasure.  When  not  on  a  visit  to  his  family,  he 
might  often  be  seen  there,  refreshing  himself  after 
the  labors  of  the  day,  and  having  the  air  of  a  person 
lost  in  his  own  thoughts.  He  reflected  much  at 
this  period  on  themes  connected  with  religion  and 
government.  Indeed,  ever  since  the  time  when 
doubts  first  sprang  up  in  his  mind  respecting  that 
article  in  the  popular  creed  which  attributes  the 
power  of  sending  rain  to  the  Dragon  of  the  Eastern 
Sea,  his  leisure  had  been  principally  occupied  with 
examining  the  different  religious  and  philosophical 
systems  prevalent  among  his  countrymen.     By  help 


54  TAI-PING-WANG. 

of  that  light  which  lighteth  every  man  that  Com- 
eth into  the  world,  though  dimmer  even  than  the 
tapers  of  the  tallow-tree,  he  read  daily  in  the 
obscure  pages  of  natural  religion,  and  endeavored 
to  spell  out,  as  best  he  could,  the  hidden  wisdom 
of  God. 

The  Chinese  are  characterized  by  a  remarkable 
indifference  to  religious  doctrines.  The  various 
sects — Buddhists,  Rationalists,  Mahometans,  and 
Jews — enjoy  perfect  toleration,  only  because  there 
is  no  strong  attachment  among  the  people  to 
any  one  of  them.  "Sing-song  —  all  the  same 
pigeon,"  is  an  adage  currently  applied  to  the  dif- 
ferent religious  doctrines  ;  and  even  the  Emperor 
Tau-kwang  once  issued  a  proclamation,  reviewing 
their  several  pretensions,  and  declaring  them  all 
to  be  false. 

Still,  the  vulgar  live  under  the  dominion  of  super- 
stitions of  one  sort  or  another,  and  worship  a  great 
number  of  idols,  it  matters  little  by  what  name 
called.  The  adoration  of  the  higher  divinities, 
indeed,  such  as  the  visible  heavens,  the  earth,  the 
great  temple  of  ancestors,  the  gods  of  land  and  of 
grain,  being  performed  by  the  emperor  and  chief 
officers  of  state,  as  a  court  ceremony  and  pageant,  the 
same  is  prohibited  to  the  common  people,  under  pain 
of  strangulation  or  banishment.      But  there  is  a 


HE    BECOMES    A    CONFUCIAN    PHILOSOPHER.        55 

legion  of  inferior  gods  and  genii  left  them.  These 
exercise  authority  over  every  locality,  and  super- 
vision over  every  event  of  life ;  and,  in  honor  of 
them,  all  houses  have  two  altars,  one  in  the  hall, 
and  one  in  a  niche  in  the  external  wall,  where  a 
blind  faith  daily  lights  its  candles  and  incense- 
sticks.  The  consumption  of  gilt  paper,  burned  at 
the  shrines,  is  enormous,  and  creates  an  active  trade 
in  the  article  throughout  the  empire.  Sacrifices, 
likewise,  of  baked  meats,  and  other  kinds  of  food,  are 
offered  to  all  sorts  of  hungry  demons,  sprites,  and 
ghosts.  Incantations  are  commonly  practiced ;  amu- 
lets are  worn ;  lucky  and  unlucky  days  are  believed 
in  ;  and  a  multitude  of  ceremonies  are  attended  upon 
in  the  temples,  where  the  priests  bow  their  shaven 
heads  to  Buddh,  and  sound  their  bells  and  gongs  to 
call  the  drowsy  god's  attention. 

The  Buddhist  is  the  most  influential  of  the  dif- 
ferent sects.  Its  priests  absolve  from  sin  for  a 
consideration,  and  teach  their  votaries  to  keep  a 
regular  score  with  heaven.  They,  likewise,  gain 
influence  by  inculcating  the  doctrine  of  a  future 
state  of  rewards  and  punishments,  which  is  not  in- 
sisted upon  by  the  Confucian  literati.  Their  hell  con- 
sists of  eight  stories,  in  which  the  souls  which  have 
been  condemned  by  the  ten  kings  of  darkness  and 
judges  of  the  world,  are  pounded  in  a  mortar,  sawn 


6b  TAI-PING-WANG. 

asunder,  tied  to  red-hot  pillars  of  brass,  have  their 
tongues  cut  out,  and  are  pitched  headlong  upon 
hills  of  knife-blades. 

The  heaven  of  the  good,  on  the  other  hand,  is  a 
paradise  in  the  west.  "  Therein  the  bodies  of  the 
saints,  reproduced  from  the  lotus,  are  pure  and 
fragrant,  their  countenances  fair  and  well-formed, 
their  hearts  full  of  wisdom,  and  without  vexation. 
They  dress  not,  and  yet  are  not  cold ;  they  dress, 
and  yet  are  not  made  hot.  They  eat  not,  and  yet 
are  not  hungry  ;  they  eat,  and  yet  are  not  satiated. 
They  are  without  pain,  irritation,  and  sickness,  and 
they  become  not  old.  They  behold  the  lotus- 
flowers  and  gum-trees  delightfully  waving,  like  the 
motion  of  a  vast  sheet  of  embroidered  silk.  On 
looking  upward,  they  see  the  firmament  full  of  to-lo 
flowers,  falling  in  beautiful  confusion  like  rain. 
The  felicity  of  that  kingdom  may  justly  be  called 
superlative,  and  the  age  of  its  inhabitants  is  without 
measure.  This  is  the  place  called  the  paradise  of 
the  west." 

The  other  sect,  most  in  favor  with  the  common  peo- 
ple, is  that  of  the  Rationalists,  founded  by  Lautsz'. 
These  derive  the  origin  of  all  things  from  the  logos, 
or  reason,  wherein  from  eternity  they  lay  infolded, 
as  in  a  germ.  They  teach  that  virtue  is  best  pro- 
moted, not  by  the  overcoming  of  temptation,  but  by 


HE    BECOMES    A    CONFUCIAN    PHILOSOPHER.       57 

its  avoidance  ;  not  by  the  restraint  of  passion,  but  by- 
its  annihilation ;  not  by  an  active  discharge  of  the 
duties  of  life,  but  by  habits  of  abstraction  from 
worldly  affairs ;  in  short,  to  use  their  own  phrase, "  by 
stifling  their  breath,  and  eating  their  spirits."  But 
their  hold  of  the  popular  mind  is  gained  chiefly  by 
the  magic  arts,  whereby  they  pretend  to  hold 
intercourse  with,  and  exercise  a  control  over,  the 
demons  of  the  invisible  world.  Formerly,  they 
sought  much  for  the  philosopher's  stone,  and  the 
elixir  of  life,  and  they  still  keep  up  a  brisk  trade  in 
amulets,  go  barefooted  over  ignited  charcoal,  and 
produce  demoniacal  possession,  which  they  call 
"  dancing  the  god." 

Born  and  brought  up  in  the  midst  of  all  this 
idolatry  and  superstition,  Siu-tshuen,  on  arriving  at 
the  age  of  understanding,  found  his  mind  in  the  pos- 
session of  a  host  of  demons.  But  he  manfully 
undertook  to  expel  them.  The  Dragon  of  the 
Eastern  Sea  was  successfully  wrestled  with,  and 
driven  out  with  all  his  brood.  Welcoming  the 
doubts  which,  from  time  to  time,  arose  in  his  mind, 
as  angels  of  light  coming  to  his  rescue,  he  persevered 
in  battling  with  the  powers  of  darkness  which  over- 
shadowed his  reason,  until  the  cloud  of  them  was 
almost  entirely  driven  out  of  his  mental  firmament. 

The  light  which  then  shone  in  it  was  not,  indeed, 
3* 


58  TAI-PING-WANG. 

the  sun  of  Christianity,  but  the  paler  orb  of  natural 
religion  ;  or  rather,  the  star  of  Confucius. 

For,  now,  after  years  of  study,  he  came  to  com- 
prehend, and  to  accept  the  doctrines  of  this  philo- 
sopher, and  of  his  disciples.  With  them,  he 
believed  in  a  trinity  of  first  principles,  the  Z/,  the 
chih,  and  the  TcL  The  ki  is  primary  matter,  or  the 
substratum  of  material  qualities ;  the  cJdh  is  the 
sensible  qualities  of  matter;  and  the  li  is  the  power 
of  organization.  This  latter,  though  inseparable 
from  matter,  is  immaterial.  It  is  also  impersonal. 
It  is  universally  diffused.  A  principle  of  fitness,  it 
acts  according  to  its  own  predetermined  nature, 
and,  without  freedom  of  choice,  remunerates  both 
the  good  and  evil  in  human  actions.  The  three 
principles  exist  in  combination  from  eternity,  al- 
thougli,  logically  considered,  the  li  is  antecedent 
to  the  others  -,  and  in  this  organized  unity  they  will 
exist  forever. 

"  Respect  the  gods,  but  keep  theqi  at  a  distance," 
said  Confucius  ;  and  the  foregoing  theory  realizes 
the  precept.  It  is  the  pantheism  of  the  eastern 
world,  which,  in  western  nations,  and  modern  times, 
has  been  reproduced  more  especially  by  the  Ger- 
mans. It  is  a  doctrine  of  necessity,  older  than 
Spinoza  or  Heraclitus,  and  which  prevails  through- 
out China,  and  all  the  Orient.     Still,  it  is  there 


HE    BECOMES    A    CONFUCIAN    PHILOSOPHER.        59 

generally  held  in  the  sense  of  Confucius,  who  also 
taught  that  fate  is  of  our  own  making,  and  happi- 
ness the  result  of  our  own  conduct.  *'  The  very- 
moment  I  desire  to  be  virtuous,"  says  this  philo- 
sopher, "  the  attainment  is  made." 

The  question  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul  has 
been  scarcely  entertained  by  the  Confucians.  "  We 
know  not  life,"  say  they;  "  how,  then,  can  we  com- 
prehend death  ?"  They  object  to  the  Rationalists, 
or  followers  of  Lautsz*,  that  their  doctrine  of  a  west- 
ern paradise  for  souls  separated  from  the  body,  un- 
fits men  for  the  business  and  duties  of  this  life  by 
fixing  their  thoughts  on  another.  "  Better,"  says 
Confucius,  "  is  it  to  concentrate  happiness  in  the  pre- 
sent moment,  than  to  defer  it  to  a  futurity  we  know 
not  of.  All  conduct  has  its  reward  in  this  world, 
either  in  the  person  of  the  individual,  or  in  his  pos- 
terity, to  the  third  and  fourth  generation." 

As  the  corner-stone  of  his  system  of  morals,  Con- 
fucius laid  down  the  doctrine  of  the  golden  mean, 
the  tchong  yong.  All  the  original  propensities  of 
our  nature  are  good,  and  evil  grows  only  out  of 
their  indulgence  to  excess.  The  animal  passions 
are  to  be  gratified,  but  always  in  subordination  to 
the  higher  instincts  of  reason.  Perfection  of  cha- 
racter results  from  a  fine  balance  of  our  natural 
powers.     He  who  governs  himself,  is  alone  capable 


60  TAI-PING-WANG. 

of  governing  others,  and  is  the  equal  of  heaven. 
The  wise  man  perfects  his  own  nature ;  and  he  who 
is  truly  benevolent,  loves  first  those  who  are  near, 
and  then  those  who  are  afar  off. 

As  in  morals,  so  in  politics,  the  great  Confucian 
principle  is  :  "Avoid  extremes."  The  state  is  to  be 
governed  by  the  same  rules  as  the  individual.  All 
interests  are  to  be  balanced.  The  good  of  a  part 
of  the  nation  is  bound  up  in,  and  is  to  be  kept 
subordinate  to,  the  good  of  the  whole.  The  system 
of  the  family  is  the  model  of  that  of  the  state;  and, 
in  both,  mutual  forbearance  is  to  be  exercised  by  all 
the  members,  and  a  perfect  subordination  maintained 
of  the  younger  to  the  elder— of  the  inferior  to  the 
superior.  Only  in  the  reverence  of  parents  and  of 
ancestors,  is  there  safety  for  either  men  or  nations. 

Such,  in  few  words,  are  the  doctrines  of  the  Con- 
fucians, who  are  not  so  much  a  religious  sect  as  a 
political  order.  They  consist  mainly  of  the  literati 
and  magistrates  of  the  empire ;  have  no  priests  ; 
and  take  little  part  in  any  kind  of  public  worship, 
excepting  that  of  ancestors  and  the  sages,  and  cer- 
tain religious  ceremonies  of  state. 

And  such  were  the  views  of  religion  and  govern- 
ment which  were  now  gradually  displacing  in  the 
mind  of  Siu-tshuen  the  popular  superstitions  in 
which  he  had  been  educated. 


XII. 

HE    CONSULTS    A    FORTUlfE-TELLEB,    AND     MEETS     WITH    THE 
EVANGELIST,  LIANO   AFAH. 

He  that  seeketh,  findeth.  So,  Siu-tshuen,  after 
several  years  of  diligent  searching  after  God  in  the 
writings  of  the  Confucian  philosophers,  if  haply  he 
might  find  him,  was  destined  at  length  to  receive 
a  portion  of  his  written  Word  at  the  hands  of  a 
Christian  tract-distributor. 

In  the  year  eigtheen  hundred  and  thirty-three, 
leaving  his  school  for  a  time,  he  went  up  to  Canton 
to  make  another  effort  to  diminish  the  distance 
which  lay  between  him  and  the  "  Forest  of  Pencils 
Society."  In  this  he  was  again  unsuccessful ;  but  in 
another  way  he  was  abundantly  rewarded  for  his 
good  endeavors. 

Before  attending  the  examination,  it  happened  to 
him,  as  he  was  strolling  through  the  streets,  to 
meet  with  a  fOrtune-teller.    Persons  of  this  calling 


62  TAI-PING-WANG. 

abound  in  all  the  great  thoroughfares  of  the  large 
towns,  and  are  much  patronized  by  those  who  are 
over-anxious  to  know  the  future.  Siu-tshuen,  being 
then  in  this  state  of  mind — for  he  was  intensely 
interested  in  knowing  the  issue  of  this  second  trial 
for  a  degree — could  not  resist  the  impulse  to  take 
counsel  of  the  soothsayer.  Confucius  himself  had 
said  that  the  truly  sincere  are  equal  to  the  gods, 
and  foreknow  both  good  and  evil.  This  young  dis- 
ciple, accordingly,  who  had  not  yet  entirely  shaken 
off  the  hold  of  the  superstition  in  which  he  was 
born  and  begotten,. becanie  very  naturally  the  dupe 
of  an  imagination  so  strongly  excited  as  to  becloud 
his  reason. 

So  he  approached  the  table  where,  in  a  high- 
backed  chair,  sat  the  teller  of  fortunes.  Paying  the 
usual  fee,  he  stated  his  desire  to  be  to  know  whether 
he  should  obtain  the  degree  of  **  Flowering  talent," 
and  be  finally  admitted  into  the  illustrious  "  Forest 
of  Pencils  Society." 

Thereupon  the  seer,  putting  on  a  solemn  look, 
asked  him  his  name.  This  was  written  down  in 
full — Hung-Kung-Phuh-Siu-tshuen.  Then,  taking 
up  a  small  bundle  of  bamboo  slips,  inscribed  with 
certain  characters,  the  fortune-teller  made  selection 
of  one  of  them,  and  proceeded  carefully  to  write 
the  radical  and  primitive  parts  of  its  character  upon 


HE    CONSULTS    A    FORTUNE-TELLER,    ETC.  63 

the  same  tablet  on  which  he  had  before  written  Siu- 
tshuen's  name.  To  this  analysis  of  the  character 
was  added  the  hour,  day,  month,  and  year ;  the  five 
planets ;  the  different  colors ;  the  human  viscera ; 
and  whatever  else  could  well  be  thought  of  suffi- 
ciently foreign  to  the  purpose. 

The  cabalistic  catalogue  completed,  the  fortune- 
teller fell  to  studying  it  as  intently  as  ever  did  sybil 
jier  leaves.  At  length,  at  what  seemed  to  Siu- 
tshuen  the  end  of  full  quarter  of  an  hour,  the  worthy 
man's  brows  began  to  lift,  and  clear  up.  Light 
gradually  broke  in  upon  his  inquiring  mind.  He 
saw  the  future  as  in  a  glass;  and,  assuming  the  look 
of  a  man  who  had  "  rapped"  up  a  spirit  out  of  pur- 
gatory, and  had  a  ghost  between  his  legs  under  a 
pine-board  table,  he  eagerly  seized  his  pencil, 
and  wrote  the  following  sentence  : — **  You  will  suc- 
ceed ;  you  will  be  ill ;  my  respects  to  your  virtuous 
father." 

This  finished  and  handed  to  Siu-tshuen,  the  for- 
tune-teller fell  at  once  out  of  his  seventh  heaven, 
counted  over  again  the  cash  which  had  been  de- 
posited on  his  table,  and  looked  around  for  a  new 
customer  with  eyes  in  which  shone  not  the  faintest 
beam  of  futurity. 

As  for  Siu-tshuen,  he  went  on  his  way  lighter 
in  pocket,  but  lighter  still  in  heart.     To  the  thres- 


64  TAI-PING-WANG. 

hold  of  the  "  Forest  of  Pencils  Society'*  seemed  to 
him  but  a  step. 

So  elated,  in  fact,  was  he,  that  the  next  day  he 
returned  to  satisfy  his  curiosity  with  regard  to  an- 
other matter.  His  wife  being  with  child,  he  wished 
to  know  whether  she  was  to  bear  him  a  son,  or  a 
daughter.  But  the  soothsayer  was  nowhere  to  be 
seen ;  and,  in  his  stead.  Divine  Providence  sent  a 
man  who  proved  to  Siu-tshuen  to  be  "  more  than  a 
prophet,"  and  gave  him  information  far  more  valu- 
able than  that  he  was  seeking  for. 

This  was  Liang  Afah,  a  native  Evangelist,  em- 
ployed by  the  London  Bible  Society  to  distribute 
religious  books  among  the  young  men  who  came  up 
to  Canton  to  attend  the  examinations,  and  who  was 
afterwards  remembered  by  Siu-tshuen  as  a  venerable 
man,  *'  with  large  sleeves  and  a  long  beard."  From 
his  pious  hands  the  young  scholar  received,  without 
money  and  without  price,  a  series  of  tracts  on 
religious  subjects,  including  extracts  from  the  Scrip- 
tures, entitled  Keuen  she  leang  ycfi,  or  *'  Good  words 
for  exhorting  the  age." 

These  he  took  home  with  him  ;  read  them  ;  but, 
not  fully  comprehending  the  new  ideas,  illustrated 
as  they  were  by  many  theological  terms  and  phrases 
hard  to  be  understood,  he  laid  them  up  on  his 
shelf.     There  they  remained  for  about  ten  years 


HE    CONSULTS    A    FORTUNE-TELLER,    ETC.         65 

undisturbed ;  but  at  the  end  of  that  time,  some  of 
the  seeds,^  which  had  fallen  upon  a  prepared  soil, 
sprang  up,  and  bore  fruit  for  the  healing  of  the 
nation.  ^ 


XIII. 

HE     FALLS    ILL,    AND    IS    TREATED    BY   DOCTORS    KI-HI,    VANQ- 
80U,    AND    TCHONG-KING-HO. 

During  the  next  three  years,  Siu-tshuen  floated 
quietly  down  the  tide  of  time,  with  scarcely  wind 
enough  astern  to  fill  his  main-sail.  He  passed  his  days 
in  his  school-room,  now  reopened  in  his  native  village, 
while  his  wife  spent  hers  in  either  domestic  labors 
or  field-work.  The  one  conceived,  from  time  to  time, 
a  new  idea,  and  the  other  endeavored  to  bring  forth 
male  oflispring.  In  not  one  instance,  however,  did 
she  succeed — the  second  birth,  like  the  first,  proving 
to  be  that  of  a  daughter,  and  constituting  about 
the  only  event  which,  during  these  years,  occurred 
to  mar  the  felicity  of  Siu-tshuen. 

At  length,  at  the  end  of  this  period,  one  of  the 
two  occurrences  predicted  by  the  Canton  for- 
tune-teller came  to  pass.  Siu-tshuen  fell  ill.  His 
naturally-strong^onstitution  had,  for  several  months 
preceding,  been  overtasked — partly  by  the  labors  of 


HE    FALLS    ILL,    ETC.  67 

his  school,  but  more  by  his  preparations  for  another 
examination  for  the  degree  of  siu-tsai ;  and  when  he 
returned  again  from  Canton  as  unsuccessful  as  be- 
fore, he  reached  his  father's  house  only  to  faint  on 
its  threshold.  Borne  to  his  mat,  he  lay  there  ex- 
hausted through  the  remainder  of  the  day,  and  at 
night  was  seized  with  a  violent  fever. 

Hung-Jang  was  sore  distressed  at  this  invasion  of 
disease,  which,  since  the  death  of  his  wife,  had  not 
entered  the  circle  of  his  family ;  and  the  more  so, 
that  the  victim  selected  was  his  favorite  son,  whose 
head  he  fondly  hoped  one  day  to  see  surmounted 
with  the  button  of  a  mandarin.  He,  therefore,  sum- 
moned the  members  of  the  family  together,  and 
proposed  to  them  to  call  in  a  physician.  This  was 
agreed  to — all  cheerfully  consenting  that  the  ex- 
pense should  be  defrayed  from  the  common  funds.    J 

Sortilege  being  resorted  to  in  order  to  determine 
which  one  of  the  two  principal  physicians  of  the 
village  should  be  sent  for,  the  lot  fell  on  doctor  Ki-  ^ 
hi.  This  practitioner  was  to  be  found  at  one  of  the 
corners  of  the  principal  street,  beneath  a  flag  flut- 
tering fromja  pole ;  while  over  against  him  sat  his 
rival,  under  an  awning  decked  out  with  streamers  ; 
and  both  equally  intent  on  offering  to  the  passers- 
by  their  respective  nostrums. 

Doctor  Ki-hi  obeyed  the  summons,  and  straight- 


68  TAI-PINa-WANG. 

way  made  his  appearance,  with  drugs  and  simples, 
in  the  house  of  Hung-Jang.  A  consultation  was 
then  held  between  the  medical  man  and  the  family 
as  to  the  amount  of  the  former's  fees,  which,  after  a 
good  many  words  on  both  sides,  was  finally  agreed 
upon,  with  the  proviso,  however,  of  "no  cure  no 
pay."  This  important  preliminary  matter  having 
been  settled  to  mutual  satisfaction,  the  doctor  pro- 
ceeded to  make  a  thorough  examination  of  the 
patient's  symptoms. 

As  the  diagnosis  of  the  Chinese  faculty  is  made 
chiefly  by  feeling  the  pulse,  to  the  pulse  doctor  Ki- 
hi  went  at  once.  He  felt  the  pulses  in  both  arms, 
in  each  of  which  there  are  three,  called  the  inch, 
the  bar,  and  the  cubit.  He  felt  the  pulses  of  the 
heart  and  of  the  liver,  in  the  left  arm ;  and  those  of 
the  stomach  and  of  the  lungs  in  the  right.  But, 
finally,  he  hung  by  the  pulse  of  the  heart,  in  the 
left  wrist.  There  was  found  to  be  the  principal 
irregularity,  and  the  beating  was  pronounced  to  be 
that  one  of  the  twenty-four  different  varieties,  which 
is  called  cAe,  or  full. 

It  was  a  case  of  fever.  The  cause  of  it  was  either 
some  disagreement  of  the  yang  and  the  jifh  the  male 
and  female  principles  in  the  system,  or  the  presence 
of  peccant  humors,  or  the  agency  of  evil  spirits. 
The  patient,  accordingly,  must  drink  a  kettle  of 


HE    PALLS    ILL,    ETC.  69 

simples  ;  must  take  his  water  boiled  ;  must  refrain 
from  eating;  and  must  keep  to  his  mat.  If  all 
these  directions  were  followed,  the  cure  would  be 
effected  in  seven  days. 

Siu-tshuen  drank  the  kettle  of  simples,  as  direct- 
ed, and  two  days  after  was  much  worse,  with  occa- 
sional attacks  of  delirium.  The  doctor  being  again 
called  declared  blood-letting  to  be  indicated.  This 
he  proposed  to  effect  by  means  of  acupuncture, 
applied  to  the  calves  of  the  patient's  legs,  in  order 
to  check  the  upward  tendency  of  the  blood,  and 
determine  it  to  the  nether  parts  of  the  system. 

Accordingly,  Siu-tshuen,  though  getting  to  be 
rather  unmanageable,  was  prevailed  upon  to  submit 
his  legs  to  the  operation.  He  consented  so  far  as  to 
place  himself  on  his  hands  and  knees,  in  a  posture 
sufficiently  favorable ;  but  the  moment  he  felt  the 
instrument  prick  his  skin,  he  suddenly  reared  up 
with  both  feet,  and  hitting  the  doctor  in  the  abdo- 
men, sent  him  heels-over-head  through  the  door 
into  the  hall. 

Thereupon,  the  operation  was  deferred  until  the 
patient  should  become  more  free  from  delirium. 
But  the  next  day,  instead  of  being  able  to  carry  his 
purpose  into  execution,  the  doctor,  on  opening  the 
door  of  Siu-tshuen's  chamber,  found  him  standing 
on  his  head  !     This  was  alarming.     Doctor  Ki-hi 


70  TAI-PING-WANG. 

began  to  have  fears  not  only  for  his  patient,  but  for 
himself;  for,  should  the  disease  suddenly  come  to  a 
fatal  issue,  he  might  be  sued  for  mal-practice,  and, 
by  the  laws  of  the  land,  lose  his  money,  if  not  his 
head. 

But  he  now  resolved  to  try  a  master-stroke  in 
the  practice  of  the  art,  let  the  consequences  be 
what  they  might.  He  was  of  opinion,  judging  from 
the  symptoms  in  the  case,  that  the  patient,  in 
standing  on  his  head,  had  dislocated  his  brain,  and 
that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  set  it.  He,  there- 
fore, bound  his  head  with  a  band,  drawn  tightly  by 
two  assistants,  who  held  on  to  the  ends,  while  he 
struck  a  violent  blow  on  the  intermediate  portion 
with  a  bamboo.  Strange  to  say,  the  operation  of 
jarring  the  brain  had  a  good  effect ;  and  the  doctor, 
on  taking  his  leave,  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
his  patient  sitting  up,  and  in  his  right  mind.* 

His  satisfaction,  however,  was  short-lived;  for, 
as  he  entered  the  house  the  next  day,  Siu-tshuen, 
the  moment  he  heard  his  step  in  the  hall,  came 
leaping  out  of  his  room  on  all  fours,  his  face  red  as 
vermilion,  his  queue  on  end,  and  his  mouth  froth- 
ing. Thereupon,  the  doctor  did  what  he  came  very 
near  doing  the  morning  before :  he  took  to  his  heels. 

•  Compare  a  similar  case  in  Williams'  "  Middle  Kingdom,"  vol.  ii., 
p.  184. 


HE    FALLS    ILL,    ETC.  71 

Nor  did  he  stop  to  haul  down  his  flag  from  the  pole, 
but  hastily  gathering  together  his  simples  and  pill- 
boxes, made  the  best  of  his  way  to  a  neighboring 
village,  where  he  lay  hid  until  he  was  informed  of  his 
patient's  recovery. 

It  now  became  necessary  to  call  in  the  services 
of  doctor  Vang-sou,  who  sat  beneath  the  awning 
decorated  with  streamers.  Doctor  Vang-sou  came, 
as  requested ;  and,  on  seeing  Siu-tshuen,  agreed  to 
cure  him  in  seven  days,  or  forfeit  of  his  fees  the 
moiety. 

Like  doctor  Ki-hi,  he  began  with  feeling  his 
patient's  pulses  with  very  great  care  and  delibera- 
tion ;  but  while  doing  so,  he  kept  up  a  running 
conversation  with  the  wife  of  Hung-Jang  respecting 
the  previous  course  of  the  disease,  so  that  by  the 
time  he  had  gone  the  rounds  of  the  pulses,  he  had 
put  himself  in  complete  possession  of  the  sayings 
and  doings  of  his  predecessor. 

He  was  then  ready  for  action.  The  pulse  exhibit- 
ing the  greatest  irregularity  was  declared  to  be  that 
of  the  heart ;  but  it  was  not  che,  or  full.  By  no 
means.  It  was  hong — overflowing;  and  the  true 
method  of  cure  was  not  to  let  blood,  which  would 
be  like  attempting  to  stop  the  boiling  of  a  pot  by 
diminishing  the  liquor  instead  of  reducing  the  fire. 
The  remedy  indicated  was  an  electuary.    He,  there- 


72  TAI-PIN(J-WANG. 

fore,  proceeded  to  compound  an  effectual  one,  con- 
sisting of  about  sixty  different  drugs  and  simples, 
with  strong  proportions  of  ginseng  and  rhubarb, 
and  ordered  them  to  be  all  well  fried  in  fat.  Of  this 
the  patient  was  to  take  a  mouthful  every  thirty 
minutes.  So  doctor  Vang-sou,  after  having  com- 
miserated Siu-tshuen  on  account  of  the  damage  done 
to  the  calves  of  his  legs,  retired,  saying  that  his 
electuary  would  produce  a  certain,  speedy,  and 
complete  cure — though  adding,  as  is  the  custom  of 
the  Chinese  faculty,  the  saving  qualification,  **if 
anything  on  earth  can  do  it.* 

Siu-tshuen  mended  a  little,  under  the  influence  of 
the  electuary,  but,  after  a  day  or  two,  fell  off  again. 
The  sauce-pan  of  doctor  Vang-sou  had  no  more  vir- 
tue in  it  than  the  kettle  of  doctor  Ki-hi.  In  fact, 
at  the  end  of  his  seven  days,  the  former  was  obliged 
to  acknowledge  that  his  patient  was  apparently  as 
far  from  being  cured  as  at  the  beginning  ;  and  so, 
saying  there  was  a  medicine  for  disease,  but  none  for 
fate,  he  pocketed  his  half-fee,  and  gave  over  poor 
Siu-tshuen  to  the  gods. 

Left,  now,  to  nature,  and  to  boiled  cold  water,  the 
sick  man  improved  rapidly.  But  before  the  cure 
was  perfected  he  met  with  a  relapse,  and  became 
worse  than  ever.  He  then  raved  by  the  hour  to- 
gether, and  had  frequently  to  be  held  down  by  main 


HE    FALLS    ILL,    ETC.  73 

force.  This  almost  broke  the  heart  of  his  father, 
who  knew  not  what  to  do.  To  pull  the  neck  of  the 
patient  until  black  and  blue,  in  order  to  force  out  the 
evil  spirit  within,  was  the  treatment  urged  by  the 
wife  of  Hung-Jang ;  but  Siu-tshuen  was  even  less 
disposed  to  submit  to  this  operation  than  he  had 
been  to  that  of  acupuncture.  The  relatives  and 
neighbors  coming  in,  counseled,  some  one  thing,  and 
some  another ;  this  one  recommending  bears'  paws, 
and  the  other,  tigers'  bones,  as  remedies ;  neighbor  so- 
and-so  talking  of  the  cures  which  had  been  wrought 
by  the  bezoar  of  cows,  and  the  horns  of  rhinoceroses ; 
while  certain  aged  beldams  told  each  other  stories 
about  still  greater  wonders  done  by  the  scales  of 
pangolins,  and  the  petrifactions  of  crabs  and  ortho- 
ceras. 

But  little  did  all  this  talk  of  costly  and  impossible 
remedies  help  the  sufferer.  For  days  he  lay  on  his 
mat,  apparently  nigh  unto  death ;  and  but  for  having 
Heaven  and  a  good  constitution  on  his  side,  he  would 
certainly  have  reached  that  bourne  whither  doctor 
Vang-sou  had  very  deliberately  consigned  him. 

At  length,  however,  a  bright  thought  occurred  to 
his  wife.  She  remembered  to  have  several  times 
heard  her  husband  speak  of  doctor  Tchong-king-ho, 
of  Water-Lily,  as  a  friend  of  his,  with  whom  he  was 
in  the  habit  of  disputing  respecting  the  doctrines  of 


74  TAI-PING-WANG. 

Confucius  and  Chu-hd.  Now,  this  doctor  Tchong- 
king-ho  had  made  a  reputation  and  a  small  fortune 
by  curing  a  mandarin  of  distinction,  who,  in  passing 
through  the  country,  had  fallen  ill  at  Water-Lily.  If 
he,  therefore,  could  be  induced  to  pay  a  visit  to  his 
sick  friend,  all  would  be  well.  The  proposition  was 
talked  over  in  the  family,  approved  of,  and,  without 
loss  of  time,  a  sedan-chair  was  dispatched  to  Water- 
Lily  for  doctor  Tchong-king-ho. 
^  Doctor  Tchong-king-ho  came  back  in  the  sedan 
chair.  He  was  a  portly,  grave  man,  who  entered 
the  house  of  Hung-Jang  with  many  bows  of  cere- 
mony, supporting  his  steps  with  a  tall  bamboo  staff, 
and  followed  by  a  servant  having  a  chest  of  drawers  to 
his  back.  This  piece  of  furniture  was  divided  into 
forty  small  compartments,  and  contained  the  doc- 
tor's medicines.  Siu-tshuen  seemed  to  revive  the 
moment  it  was  set  down  upon  the  floor. 
Like  his  two  predecessors,  the  Water-Lily  doctor  be- 
gan with  the  pulses.  They  were  all  found  to  be  more 
or  less  irregular,  and  especially  that  of  the  heart. 
But  this  was  neither  che,  nor  hongy  but  hoa,  slippery, 
and  tsoUf  embarrassed,  "like  a  frog  entangled  in 
weeds,  and  unable  to  get  backwards  or  forwards." 
Moreover,  it  was  observed  that  the  complexion  of 
the  patient  and  his  pulse  did  not  quadrate.  This 
was  his  worst  symptom. 


HE    FALLS    ILL,    ETC.  75 

Finally,  after  having  completed  the  examination 
of  the  pulses  and  countenance  of  the  patient, 
doctor  Tchong-king-ho  folded  his  hands  on  his 
breast,  and  said,  "The  disease  is  a  fever.  It  is 
caused  by  a  disturbance  of  the  natural  equilibrium 
between  the  hot  and  the  moist  elements  in  the 
system.  Of  the  three  tsiao,  or  fire-places,  situa- 
ted, one  in  the  heart,  one  in  the  sternum,  and  one 
in  the  navel,  the  superior  one  has  an  excess  of  fuel 
in  it.  This  dries  up  the  natural  moisture  of  the 
body,  and  so  accelerates  the  blood  and  animal  spirits, 
which  follow  in  its  train,  that  they  make  about 
ninety  rounds  in  twenty-four  hours  ;  whereas,  they 
should  make  but  fifty,  as  is  laid  down  in  the  treatise 
on  the  pulse,  written,  under  the  Tsin  dynasty,  by 
Ouang-tchou-hoa.  The  canal,  besides,  which  con- 
veys the  moisture  from  the  heart  to  the  upper  extre- 
mities, and  which  is  called  chau  chun  yn  king,  is 
stopped  up.  A  cure,  accordingly,  can  be  accom- 
plished only  by  freeing  this  canal,  in  the  first  place, 
and  then  letting  moisture  in  upon  the  superior  fire- 
place. My  pills  will  do  the  one,  and  a  decoction 
made  from  the  forty  simples  will  do  the  other." 

After  having  delivered  himself  of  these  learned 
opinions,  collected  from  the  forty  volumes  of  the 
"  Golden  Mirror  of  Medical  Practice,"  doctor 
Tchong-king-ho  proceeded  gravely  to  draw  out  his 


76  TAI-PIXG-WAXG. 

pill-boxes.  From  one  of  these  he  took  six  small, 
silver-coated  globules,  represented  by  him  to  be  the 
very  blossom  and  fragrance  of  the  pharmacopoeia, 
and  to  have  been  prepared  by  a  celebrated  practi- 
tioner at  Canton,  who  was  patronized  by  both  the 
prefect  and  the  governor  of  the  province.  These 
were  a  sovereign  remedy  in  all  hot  diseases,  con- 
tracted in  the  hour  of  Mars,  as  was  the  case  with  that 
of  the  patient ;  and  would  infallibly  open  his  canal. 
Then,  by  aid  of  his  servant,  the  doctor  opened 
the  forty  compartments  of  his  medicine-chest,  and 
took  from  each  a  potion  of  drugs  or  simples,  to 
form  a  decoction  in  accordance  with  the  rules  laid 
down  in  the  irun-tsafif  or  Herbal  of  Li-Shichin,  of  the 
Ming  dynasty.  Of  the  simples  which  were  red  in 
color,  he  took  out  a  large  quantity,  as  they  would 
go  directly  to  the  heart;  while  those  of  the  other 
colors  would  operate  on  the  other  viscera.  He  also 
gave  a  preference  to  those  which  were  bitter  and 
sharp  in  taste,  as  they  were  yifiy  female — and,  like- 
wise, produced  their  effect  on  the  region  of  the  heart. 
The  pith  of  plants,  too,  was  pronounced  better  in 
internal  distempers  than  the  bark,  which  was  to 
be  used  only  in  diseases  of  the  skin,  as  the  branches 
were  in  those  of  the  limbs  ;  the  leaves  which  were 
light  in  weight  had  a  tendency  towards  the  higher 
organs  of  the   breast,  but  the  heavier  wood  sank 


HE   PALLS    ILL,    ETC.  77 

into  the  kidneys  and  pit  of  the  stomach ;  and, 
finally,  a  distinction  was  made  in  favor  of  the  upper 
parts  of  herbs,  which  were  suited  to  the  upper  half 
of  the  body,  whereas,  the  roots  produced  the  best 
effects  on  the  nether  extremities.  These  nice 
distinctions  were  pointed  out  to  Hung-Jang  and 
his  family,  as  the  different  simples  were,  one  by  one, 
taken  from  the  chest  of  drawers,  and  deposited  in  a 
kettle. 

These  forty  simples  having  been  duly  com- 
pounded, and  directions  given  for  the  administra- 
tion of  the  decoction,  as  well  as  the  pills,  doctor 
Tchong-king-ho's  work  was  done.  It  remained  only 
to  assure  Hung-Jang  that  his  son  would  be  well  in 
seven  days — to  pocket  a  fee  the  poor  rice-planter 
could  ill  afford  to  pay — and  to  depart  with  his  cane, 
his  servant,  and  his  chest  of  drawers.  The  exit,  as 
well  as  the  entire  service,  was  done  in  the  very  best 
style  of  the  art,  and  could  scarcely  have  been  sur- 
passed in  its  decorous  gravity  by  that  of  doctor 
Chin-Kwei  himself,  when  he  took  leave  of  the 
patient  from  whose  abdomen  he  had  removed  one 
half  its  viscera,  and  who  got  well,  it  is  recorded 
in  the  books,  in  thirty  days  afterwards.  • 

Siu-tshuen  also  got  well ;  and  as  his    recovery 

•  Compare  Du  Halde. 


78  TAI-PING-WAXG. 

was  subsequent  to  the  taking  of  the  learned  doctor 
Tchong-king-ho's  medicines,  they  were  considered 
as  having  effected  the  cure.  He  continued,  indeed, 
to  have  violent  attacks  of  delirium  during  the  space 
of  nearly  a  month  after  the  doctor's  visit ;  but  when 
they  ceased,  his  health  returned  very  rapidly. 


XIV. 

HE  IS  TAKEN  UP  TO  HEAVEN  IN  A  TRANCE. 

The-  illness  of  Siu-tshuen  was  not  unto  death, 
but,  rather,  unto  a  new  and  higher  life.  For,  in 
the  course  of  it,  his  disordered  imagination  saw 
many  visions  which  influenced  very  beneficially  the 
course  of  his  subsequent  career. 

On  awaking  from  the  first  of  these  delirious 
dreams,  wherein  he  had  beheld  himself  transported 
into  the  midst  of  a  very  great  company  of  superior 
beings,  he  thought  he  was  going  to  die,  and,  calling 
the  family  around  him,  said,  "  My  days  are  num- 
bered, and  I  am  about  to  go  into  the  presence  of 
Jen-lo-wang.  Alas  !  that  I  have  made  so  poor  re- 
turns to  you,  my  parents,  for  the  numberless  bless- 
ings you  have  bestowed  upon  me.  Would  that  I 
could  live  to  reflect  lustre  on  your  name,  and 
render  your  old  age  happy.  But  my  days  are 
finished.     I  die." 

He  then  fell  asleep ;  but  awoke  feeling  better, 


80  TAI-PING-WANG. 

and  did  not  set  off  for  the  realms  of  Jen-lo-wang, 
the  king  of  Hades,  as  he  had  anticipated. 

From  time  to  time,  these  dreams  returned,  at- 
tended frequently  with  violent  paroxysms  of  mad- 
ness, when  it  was  only  by  main  strength  that  his 
father  and  brothers  could  prevent  his  doing  both 
himself  and  others  serious  injury.  He  then  ima- 
gined the  house  filled  with  demons,  or  various 
kinds  of  animals,  such  as  dragons,  and  tigers.  One 
day,  when  laboring  more  under  mental,  than  phy- 
sical excitement,  he  fell  into  a  trance,  during  which 
his  visions  were  not  only  much  more  connected 
than  usual,  but  so  vivid,  that  he  afterwards  dis- 
tinctly remembered  them,  and  believed  them  to  be 
realities. 

This  dream  opened  with  the  sight  of  a  very  large 
procession  approaching  him  from  a  distance.  It 
came  on  with  music,  and  banners  flying ;  with 
lanterns,  and  lighted  torches ;  with  artificial  dra- 
gons, and  dire  chimeras  ;  escorted  by  men-at-arms, 
and  mandarins'  horsemen  ;  and  preceded  by  volleys 
of  fire-crackers.  When  the  procession  arrived  where 
Siu-tshuen  was,  a  splendid  red  and  gilt  sedan-chair 
was  set  down  before  him,  and,  on  entering  it,  he 
was  borne  away  as  in  triumph. 

He  was  then  transported  into  realms  of  surpass- 
ing beauty,  which  were  lighted  neither  by  sun  nor 


N  HE  IS  TAKEN  UP  TO  HEAVEN  IN  A  TRANCE.  81 

moon,  but  where  the  atmosphere  itself  was  lu« 
minous.  The  sky  was  milky  blue,  with  white 
clouds ;  the  distant  mountains  were  rose  or  pur- 
ple ;  the  rivers  gleamed  like  molten  glass  ;  the 
lakes  gave  back  their  banks  in  perfect  reflections  ; 
the  woodlands  were  vocal  with  the  songs  of  in- 
numerable birds ;  and  the  emerald  turf  was  gorge- 
ous with  flowers,  which  filled  the  air  with  sweet 
odors. 

In  this  paradise  the  inhabitants  were  of  all  ages, 
but  never  grew  older — time  having  no  further  power 
over  them.  They  lived  in  perpetual  pleasures. 
Birds' -nest  soup  and  biche-de-mer  were  on  every 
table;  the  rice  grew  spontaneously;  the  tea  was 
better  than  "  prince's  eye-brow  ;"  the  sam-shu  was 
superior  to  that  of  Vou-sie  and  Chao-king  ;  and  the 
wine  equaled  that  from  **  over  the  ocean."  The 
husbandmen  had  the  pleasant  fruits  of  the  land  for 
the  mere  plucking ;  the  shepherds  on  the  hillsides 
did  nothing  all  day  long  but  smoke  their  pipes  ; 
and  the  mariners  who  went  out  upon  the  lakes,  or 
the  great  deep,  were  wafted,  by  airs  imperceptible 
to  sense,  whithersoever  they  would  be. 

All  these  immortals  were  dressed  in  silks,  em- 
broidered with  threads  of  silver  and  of  gold,  and 
were  without  queues.      At  their  entertainments, 

dancing-girls,  fairer  far  than  those  of  Suchau,  moved 
4» 


82  TAI-PING-WANG. 

in  graceful  measures  to  the  sounds  of  flutes  and 
stringed  instruments,  which,  like  iEolian  lyres, 
seemed  to  breathe  in  the  air.  The  bowers  in  which 
these  feasts  were  given,  were  festooned  with 
natural  wreaths  of  flowers,  and  draped  with  climb- 
ing plants  whose  tendrils  fell  from  the  lofty 
branches  of  the  trees  till  they  swept  the  ground. 
Fountains  kept  up  their  play  in  them  without 
ceasing,  and  the  gentle  sound  of  falling  waters 
everywhere  soothed  the  ear  in  the  intervals  when 
the  gayer  music  of  the  air  floated  away,  and  was 
lost  in  the  distance. 

With  this  life  of  soft  delights,  so  different  from 
that  of  a  schoolmaster  among  the  mortals,  Siu- 
tshuen  was  enchanted. 

But  by  a  change  in  the  scene,  he  suddenly  found 
himself  in  the  company  of  an  old  woman  who  was 
enjoying  a  sorry  immortality  of  mere  skin  and  bones, 
and  who. said  to  him,  "Thou  dirty  man,  why  hast 
thou  kept  company  with  those  lovers  of  pleasure, 
and  defiled  thyself?  I  must  now  wash  thee  clean." 
Whereupon  she  conducted  him  down  to  the  bank 
of  a  golden-sanded  river,  in  the  cleansing  waters  of 
which  she  washed  and  scrubbed  him,  as  if  he  had 
been  a  soiled  jacket. 

When  Siu-tshuen  came  up  out  of  the  water,  he 
felt  that  he  was  made  clean,  and  seeing  on  the  banks 


HE    IS    TAKEN    UP    TO    HEAVEN   IN    A    TRANCE.    83 

of  the  river  a  magnificent  palace,  with  a  tower 
reaching  to  the  sky,  he  desired  to  be  conducted  to 
it.  The  old  woman  replied  that,  having  been 
washed,  he  was  worthy  of  being  introduced  into 
the  palace,  and  she  would  lead  him  thither. 

Their  way  led  at  first  along  the  river-bank.  Be- 
sides the  gilded  domes  and  thousand  minarets  of  the 
palace  he  was  approaching,  Siu-tshuen  beheld  with 
admiration  the  numerous  pleasure-boats  which  were 
floating  idly  down  the  current  of  the  river.  The 
sound  of  music  was  heard  from  many  of  them  ;  and 
the  figh  in  the  pellucid  waters  seemed  to  be  gam- 
boling to  its  measures.  They  also  disported  in 
shoals  along  the  shallow  margin  of  the  stream,  and 
many  of  them,  leaping  out  of  the  water,  made  the 
air  flash  with  phosphorescent  light,  and  the  brilliant 
colors  of  their  scales.  Under  foot,  he  trod  at  every 
step  on  flowers  which,  pressed  down  in  the  soft 
turf,  immediately  sprang  up  again  from  his  footsteps ; 
while  overhead,  a  multitude  of  birds  of  every  hue, 
and  the  sweetest  notes,  warbled  their  mutual  loves  ; 
squirrels,  their  cheeks  full  of  nuts,  chased  each  other 
in  graceful  dallfance  from  bough  to  bough;  and 
fantastic  apes,  hanging  by  their  tails,  played  games 
of  ball  with  oranges  and  cocoa-nuts,  like  school-boys 
among  the  mortals. 

As  Siu-tshuen  passed  on,  a  high-thrown  arch  ad- 


84  TAI-PING-WANG. 

mitted  him  into  the  gardens  of  the  palace.  These 
lay  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  connected,  on  one  side, 
by  bridges,  with  a  number  of  floating  islands  that 
lay  moored  in  the  broad  current,  and,  on  the  other, 
with  a  range  of  distant  heights  which  fell  down  in  a 
graceful  slope  to  the  water.  The  paths  wound, 
now,  through  parks  of  lofty  forest-trees;  now, 
through  thickets  of  aromatic  shrubbery ;  now, 
through  glades  where  flocks  and  herds  crept  the 
grass,  or  lay  about  in  tranquil  rumination.  Small 
streams  of  water,  flowing  down  from  the  hills,  were 
frequently  crossed  by  bridges  which  rested  on 
arches.  A  good  many  artificial  islands  and  mounds, 
also,  were  passed,  and  much  rock-work,  with  caverns 
and  cascades,  but  all  arranged  with  such  a  perfec- 
tion of  art  as  to  rival  the  handy-work  of  nature. 
With  these  gardens  the  Fa-tee  at  Canton,  and  those 
of  the  golden  and  silver  isles,  below  Nanking,  could 
bear  no  comparison. 

As  Siu-tshuen  drew  nearer  to  the  palace,  he  began 
to  hear  a  delicate  music,  as  if  proceeding  from  hun- 
dreds of  silver  bells.  On  asking  his  guide  whence 
the  sounds  proceeded,  he  was  told  to  look  at  the 
minarets  on  the  roofs  of  the  palace.  He  did  so,  and 
there  beheld  the  bells  which,  suspended  from  a 
great  number  of  points,  so  high  as  to  be  almost  in- 
visible, and  agitated,  from  time  to  time,  by  the  wings 


HE    IS    TAKEN    UP    TO    HEAVEN   IN    A    TRANCE.    86 

of  zephyrs  floating  in  the  air,  sent  a  chime  of  silvery 
melodies  down  out  of  mid-heaven  to  undulate  and 
reecho  through  all  the  region  round. 

Through  rows  oT  dwarf  trees  and  shrub  peonies, 
purple,  lilac,  and  deep  red ;  between  borders  planted 
with  the  fingered  citron,  the  fire-colored  rose,  and 
jonquils,  the  bulb  set  upside  down  to  make  the 
growth  fantastic }  by  the  side  of  pools  filled  with 
the  different  varieties  of  the  lotus-lily,  with  gold 
fish  playing  between  their  stems;  and,  amid  clusters 
of  blue  camellias,  yellow  azalias,  and  magnolias  red 
and  white,  Siu-tshuen  wound  his  way  up  flight 
after  flight  of  easy  steps  until  he  reached  the  gates 
of  the  celestial  palace. 

Then  the  old  woman  handed  him  t)ver  to  the  ser- 
vants in  waiting,  telling  them  that  he  had  been  made 
clean  ;  and  these,  in  turn,  took  him  into  one  of  the 
inner  buildings  of  the  palace,  where  he  was  to  be 
subjected  to  the  operation  of  a  change  of  heart. 

There  Siu-tshuen  found  a  large  company  of  vener- 
able men  assembled,  including  some  of  the  ancient 
sages,  and  among  them  the  illustrious  surgeon  Chin- 
kwei,  who  had  lived  on  earth  in  the  Liang  dynasty. 
He  had  been  called  in  to  perform,  in  the  presence 
of  a  crowd  of  worthies,  the  act  of  changing  the  heart 
of  the  newly-arrived  mortal. 

Having  his  instruments  duly  arranged,  he  ordered 


86  TAI-PING-WANG. 

the  patient  to  make  bare  his  breast.  When  this  had 
been  done,  he  removed  the  heart,  and  neighboring 
parts,  from  Siu-tshuen's  body  in  less  time  than  it 
had  taken  him  to  pull  off  his  jacket.  An  attendant 
standing  by  with  a  celestial  and  brilliantly-red  heart 
in  his  hand,  doctor  Chin-kwei  clapped  it  into  the 
place  of  the  one  which  had  been  extracted,  and 
sewed  up  the  wound  so  cleverly  that  when  Siu- 
tshuen  put  on  his  clothes  again,  he  could  no  longer 
discern  the  scar.  The  operation  was  attended  with 
no  pain  whatsoever. 

Siu-tshuen  was  now  allowed  to  go  into  the  pres- 
ence of  the  lord  of  the  palace.  A  number  of  the 
venerable  sages,  who  had  been  present  at  the  oper- 
ation of  his  change  of  heart,  escorted  him  on  his 
way  through  the  halls  and  courts  of  the  extensive 
pile  of  buildings.  Its  internal  magnificence  equaled 
that  of  the  exterior.  Siu-tshuen  passed  through 
marble  halls  beautifully  decorated  with  inlaid  stones 
of  great  value  ;  through  apartments  hung  with 
magnificently-embroidered  tapestry  ;  through  others 
entirely  covered  with  gilding ;  and  others  still,  which 
were  stained  with  the  most  brilliant  colors,  and  their 
walls  adorned  either  with  paintings,  or  tablets,  ex- 
horting to  virtue. 

Siu-tshuen  was  amazed  at  all  this  splendor,  and 
came  quite  confounded  into  the  presence  of  the 


HE   IS   TAKEN   UP   TO   HEAVEN   IN   A   TRANCE.    87 

lord  of  the  mansion.  Venerable  in  years,  having  a 
long  golden  beard  hanging  down  his  breast,  and 
solemnly  robed  in  black,  this  personage  sat  upon  an 
elevated  throne,  and  received  the  stranger  with 
dignity,  but  much  feeling.  He  was  even  affected 
to  tears,  and  briefly  said,  "All  the  human  beings  in 
the  world  are  created  and  sustained  by  me ;  yet, 
though  they  eat  my  food  and  wear  my  clothing,  not 
one  of  them  all  remembers  and  venerates  me  ;  they 
even  take  of  my  gifts  and  pervert  them  to  the 
worship  of  demons ;  they  purposely  rebel  against 
me,  and  arouse  my  anger.     Imitate  them  not."* 

When  the  aged  lord  of  the  palace  had  finished 
this  speech,  he  gave  Siu4shuen  a  sword,  telling  him 
to  exterminate  the  demons  with  it ;  also  a  seal 
which  should  give  him  power  over  evil  spirits  ;  and 
a  yellow  fruit  from  the  tree  of  life  which  was  sweet 
to  the  taste.  Then,  exhorting  him  to  take  courage 
for  the  work  it  was  given  him  to  do,  and  promising 
his  constant  assistance  and  protection,  he  dismissed 
him  from  his  presence. 

As  Siu-tshuen  retired  from  the  palace,  he  exhort- 
ed all  whom  he  met  to  venerate  "the  old  man." 
Some  acknowledged  that  they  had  neglected  him, 
and  others  said,  "  Why  should  we  spend  our  time  in 

•  Compare  Rev.  I.  J.  Robert's  statement  in  "  Putnam's  Monthly," 
OctoUr,  1&6. 


88  TAI-PING-WANG. 

worshiping  him  ?  Let  us  only  be  merry  and  drink 
with  our  friends."  So  that  even  at  the  very  gates 
of  the  palace,  Siu-tshuen  found  none  whose  piety 
was  perfect,  not  even  that  of  Confucius  himself, 
who  had  just  been  reproved  from  the  throne  for  not 
having  declared  the  whole  truth  in  his  writings. 

While  conversing  with  this  ancient  sage,  Siu- 
tshuen  was  approached  by  a  person  of  middle  age, 
whom  he  afterwards  called  Jesus,  his  "elder  broth- 
er," and  who  led  him  away  to  the  top  of  the  tower 
belonging  to  the  palace.  Thence  showing  him  the 
earth  in  the  distance,  he  said,  "  Behold  the  people 
in  yonder  world  ;  they  are  wicked  in  all  the  thoughts 
of  their  hearts." 

Thereupon,  Siu-tshuen,  looking  over  the  face  of  the 
earth,  saw  that  it  was  indeed  full  of  wickedness  ; 
and  his  eyes  not  being  able  to  endure  the  sight  of 
80  much  iniquity,  he  awoke  from  his  trance. 


XV. 

HE   IS   DELIBIOUS  AND  CHASES  DEMONS  THROUGH  THE  EARTH. 

When  Siu-tshuen  awoke  from  his  trance,  being 
fully  convinced  of  the  reality  of  what  he  had  seen 
in  imagination,  he  arose,  tottered  into  the  presence 
of  his  father,  and,  making  a  low  bow,  said,  **  The 
venerable  old  man  above  has  commanded  that  all 
men  shall  turn  to  me,  and  all  treasures  shall  flow 
to  me." 

At  these  words  his  father  was  amazed.  He  had 
frequently  heard  his  son  talk  wildly  during  his  at- 
tacks of  delirium ;  but  he  never  before  had  seen 
him  so  calm  in  his  excitement,  and  so  serious  in  his 
madness.  No  reply,  however,  was  attempted  by 
the  former  to  language  the  purport  tff  which  he 
did  not  at  all  comprehend  ;  and  the  latter,  com- 
pletely overcome  by  the  effort  he  had  made,  both 
physical  and  mental,  immediately  returned  to  his 
mat. 

But  the  next  day,  Siu-tshuen  was  more  furious 


90  TAI-PING-WANG. 

than  ever.  He  leaped  about  in  his  narrow  room, 
fighting  like  a  soldier  with  sword  in  hand.  At  the 
same  time  he  shouted  aloud,  crying  repeatedly,  "  Tsan 
jan,  tsan  jan,  tsan  ah!  tsan  ah;^^  that  is,  "Slay  the 
demons,  slay  the  demons,  slay,  slay !" 

He  was  in  imagination  pursuing  the  enemies  of 
"  the  old  man,"  having  in  one  hand  the  sword  which 
had  been  given  him,  and  in  the  other  the  seal. 
"Here  is  one,"  he  cried  out,  "and  there  is  one; 
legions  of  them  cannot  stand  before  me."  Every- 
thing within  reach  was  turned  topsy-turvy  in  pur- 
suit of  the  demons.  He  hunted  for  them  forty 
times  a  day  under  his  mat,  on  his  shelves,  in  the 
four  corners  of  his  chamber. 

"  How  could  these  imps  dare  oppose  me  ?"  he 
continued  to  cry  out.  "  I  must  slay  them  ;  I  must 
slay  them.     Many  hosts  cannot  resist  me." 

As  in  fancy  he  pressed  on  in  the  chase  after  the 
fiends,  they  seemed  to  undergo  various  transforma- 
tions, now  flying  away  as  birds,  and  now  leaping 
like  wild  beasts.  Then,  they  filled  the  room  in 
the  form  of  reptiles  and  creeping  things.  At 
one  time,  he  would  scatter  them  like  rats  and  mice  ; 
at  another,  he  would  hug  them  as  if  they  were 
bears ;  or,  quietly  seating  himself,  would  search  for 
them  as  for  fleas  in  his  blanket.  And  when  these 
ugly  fiends  could  not  be  reached  with  his  sword, 


HE    IS   DELIRIOUS,    ETC.  91 

he  held  up  his  seal  towards  them,  at  sight  of  which 
they  fled  away,  and  were  no  more  seen. 

Often,  on  his  incursions  into  the  enemy's  country, 
he  was  accompanied  by  his  "  elder  brother,"  Jesus, 
whose  acquaintance  he  had  made  in  the  trance,  and 
who  did  him  much  good  service.  Like  a  pair  of 
brothers  they  roamed  to  and  fro  in  the  earth,  and 
swept  their  course  clean  of  all  under  heaven  that 
dared  to  oppose  them. 

At  times,  Siu-tshuen,  stringing  as  many  demons 
as  he  could  get  on  his  sword,  like  snipes  on  a  spit, 
hurled  them  by  the  dozen  into  the  abyss  of  hell. 
Then  he  would  laugh  aloud,  and  exclaim,  "Aha! 
they  cannot  withstand  me."  The  falling  imps  were 
caught  on  the  roof  of  the  eight-storied  place  of  tor- 
ment, which  was  covered  over  with  spears  of  great 
length,  and  whereon  they  lay  quivering  and  wrig- 
gling like  flies  stuck  through  by  the  pin  of  a  school- 
boy. By  thousands  upon  thousands  were  the 
demons  hurled  upon  the  sharp-pointed  spears,  there 
left  to  be  judged  for  their  deeds  done  upon  earth, 
and,  after  sentence,  to  be  distributed  among  the 
different  apartments,  according  as  they  were  to  be 
roasted,  or  otherwise  put  to  torture.  Frequently 
Siu-tshuen  stopped  to  behold  the  flames  as  they 
curled  over  the  chimney-tops  of  the  infernal  furnaces, 
and  listening,  heard  the  bones  of  the  demons  crackle 


92  TAI-PING-WANG. 

like  thorns  under  a  pot,  and  their  hides  hiss  and 
sputter  like  steaks  on  a  gridiron. 

Thereupon  he  would  rub  his  hands  with  glee,  and 
say  to  himself,  "  Now  will  *  the  old  man'  be  content 
with  me." 

At  other  times  Siu-tshuen,  though  equally  mad, 
was  more  calm.  Then  he  would  exhort  his  brothers 
and  all  present  to  join  him  in  the  service  of  the 
"  venerable  old  man  ;"  entreating  them  with  tears, 
and  words  of  reproof.  "  You  have  no  hearts,"  he 
would  say,  "  to  venerate  the  '  old  father,'  but  are  in 
fellowship  with  the  fiends.  Indeed,  indeed,  you 
have  no  hearts,  no  conscience  more." 

Some  person  had  most  of  the  time  to  watch  at 
his  door,  to  prevent  his  running  out  of  the  house. 
He  was  known  through  the  village  as  the  madman ; 
but  when  so  called,  he  laughed  aloud, and  said,  "In- 
deed, I  am  not  mad."  He  even  declared  himself  to 
be  the  Emperor  of  China,  and  was  much  pleased 
when  he  was  addressed  by  this  title.  In  his  better 
moods,  he  occasionally  took  his  pencil,  and  wrote 
verses,  some  of  which  bear  marks  of  the  '*  fine  frenzy" 
of  genuine  poetry.     The  following  is  a  specimen : 


<'My  hand  now  holds,  both  in  heaven  and  earth,  the  power  to  panish 

and  kill ; 
To  slay  the  depraved,  and  spare  the  upright ;  to  relieve  the  people's 

distress. 


HE    IS    DELIRIOUS,    ETC.  SB 

My  eyes  survey  from  the  north  to  the  south,  beyond  the  rivers  and 

mountains ; 
My  voice  is  heard  from  the  east  to  the  west,  to  the  tracts  of  the  sun 

and  the  moon. 
The  dragon  expands  his  claws,  as  if  the  road  in  the  clouds  were  too 

narrow ; 
And  when  he  aacends,  why  should  he  fear  the  bent  of  the  milky-way  ? 
Then  tempest  and  thunder  as  music  attend,  and  the  foaming  waves 

are  excited ; 
The  flying  dragon,  the  yik-king  describes,  dwells  surely  in  heaven 

above." 


Meanwhile,  Hung-Jang  remained  sorely  distressed 
on  account  of  his  son's  illness.  He  consulted  all 
the  doctors  and  old  wives,  far  and  near,  but  none  of 
their  arts  could  effectually  minister  to  the  disease  of 
either  the  body,  or  the  mind.  At  last  it  occurred 
to  him,  that  this  great  calamity  might  have  arisen 
from  the  circumstance  that  the  geomancer  had 
selected  an  unlucky  spot  for  the  burial  of  his  wife, 
or  some  of  his  kindred.  So  he  called  for  the  fortune- 
teller and  other  magicians,  and  ordered  them  to  go 
with  their  compasses  to  the  burial-ground,  and  by 
their  arts  ascertain  if  any  soul  had  been  uncomfort- 
ably and  improperly  buried.  They  thereupon  set  oif 
upon  this  errand,  expecting  that  it  would  give  them 
all  occupation  for  a  month  ;  and  had  not  Siu-tshuen 
suddenly  become  better,  it  would  have  gone  hard 
but  what  they  would  have  disturbed  the  resting- 
place    of    every   ppor   soul    on    the   hillside,    and 


94  TAI-PING-WANG. 

brought  the  sleeping  bones  of  the  four  generations 
of  Hungs  above  ground. 

Fortunately  Siu-tshuen's  recovery  prevented  this 
desecration,  besides  saving  the  expense  of  further 
disinterment-fees.  He  began  to  mend  from  the  day 
when  his  father  found  in  a  crack  of  the  door-post  a 
slip  of  paper  on  which  was  written,  in  red  ink,  the 
following  inscription : 

**  The  noble  yrinciplcs  of  the  heavenly  king,  the  sove- 
reign imncc  Tsliucny 

So,  at  the  end  of  forty  days,  the  son  of  Tlung-Jang 
was  restored  to  health  of  both  body  and  mind  ;  and 
there  was  an  end  of  his  visions. 


XVI. 

HK  BEADS  THE  TRACTS  OF  LIANQ  AFAH,  AMD  BAPTIZES  HIM- 
SELF. 

With  his  recovery  a  great  change  came  over  Siu-  ' 
tshuen.  His  physical  system  gradually  received  its 
final  development  into  manhood,  his  height  being 
increased,  his  shoulders  broadened,  his  step  be- 
coming more  firm,  and  his  presence  more  imposing. 
His  mind,  also,  was  the  subject  of  a  no  less  marked 
expansion.  A  greater  liberality  characterized  his 
views,  as  well  as  more  earnestness.  He  was  dis- 
posed to  converse  with  men  more,  and  to  pore  over 
books  less.  The  aged  and  the  virtuous  sought  his 
company  to  listen  to  the  strange  narrative  of  his 
visions,  which  he  repeated  very  cheerfully,  and  to 
derive  instruction  from  one  whose  thoughts  had  the 
charm  of  originality,  as  well  as  of  earnest  sincerity. 
But  the  frivolous  could  take  no  pleasure  in  his 
words,  and  the  vicious  hid  their  faces  from  his  re- 
proofs. J 


96  TAI-PING-WANG. 

He  now  opened,  for  the  second  time,  his  school  in 
Water-Lily ;  where  he  taught  with  more  success 
than  ever,  as  well  as  mixed  more  in  the  society  of 
men,  both  learned  and  unlearned.  -  Such  were,  how- 
ever, his  recollections  of"  the  blossom  and  fragrance 
of  the  pharmacopoeia,"  which  had  been  administer- 
ed to  him  during  his  illness  by  doctor  Tchong-king- 
ho,  that  he  avoided  intercourse  with  this  learned 
professor,  and  never  went  to  renew  his  disputes 
with  him  respecting  the  doctrines  of  Confucius,  and 
Chu-h^. 

One  more  attempt,  and  the  last,  was  now  made 
to  obtain  a  degree  at  Canton.  But  it  was  written  in 
the  book  of  the  fates  that  he  should  never  become 
a  siu-tsai,  much  less,  cross  the  threshold  of  the 
"Forest  of  Pencils  Society."  He  was  to  have  his 
brow  bound  with  the  golden  round  of  empire,  and 
not  with  the  fragrant  olive  of  letters.  Conscious, 
however,  of  deserving  the  latter  long  before  he  ever 
dreamed  of  being  rewarded  with  the  former,  an 
N^  unquenchable  ambition  to  become  distinguished, 
which  had  before  contributed  towards  prostrating 
his  health,  now  became  the  breath  of  his  life,  and 
led  to  such  resolves  and  efforts  as  were  the  almost 
inevitable  precursors  of  success. 

"  Divine  Providence,"  it  has  been  profanely  said, 
"  is  always  on  the  side  of  the  most  cannon."    But, 


HE    BAPTIZES    HIMSELF.  97 

to  bring  out  of  the  paddy-fields  of  Hung-Jang  a 
power  to  shake  the  empire  of  the  Manchus,  who, 
for  two  centuries,  had  ruled  the  three  hundred 
millions  of  the  Middle  Kingdom,  was  to  accomplish 
its  purposes  by  an  instrumentality  as  feeble  as  that 
of  the  fishermen  who  subverted  the  dominion  of 
classic  antiquity,  and  sat  down  in  the  seat  of  the 
Caesars. 

And  the  time  had  now  fully  come  when  this 
humble  instrument  was  to  be  brought  into  action. 
During  ten  long  years  the  pious  tracts  of  Liang  Afah 
had  lain  undisturbed  on  the  shelf  of  Siu-tshuen  ; 
but  the  dust  was  at  length  to  be  brushed  from  their 
covers,  and  they  were  to  be  a  light  in  his  path,  to 
lighten  him  until  he  should  ascend  the  steps  of  a 
throne,  and  fulfill  the  divine  purpose  of  converting 
millions  of  men  from  the  error  of  idolatry. 

One  day,  in  the  year  1843,  it  happened  that  a 
relative  of  Siu-tshuen,  of  the  Li  family,  in  examin- 
ing the  contents  of  his  book-case,  fell  upon  the 
Christian  tracts,  entitled  **  Good  words  for  exhorting 
the  age."  On  inquiring  respecting  their  character, 
he  was  told  by  his  kinsman  that  they  were 
strange  books,  which  he  had  read  years  ago,  but 
without  deriving  from  them  much  information,  or 
instruction.  The  curiosity  of  Li,  however,  being 
excited,  he  requested  permission  to  take  the  books 


98  TAI-PING-WANG. 

home  and  read  them.  He  was  allowed  to  do  so , 
and  after  perusal,  he  returned  them,  saying  that 
they  seemed  to  him  very  extraordinary  productions, 
and  very  different  from  Chinese  writings.* 
f  This  induced  Siu-tshuen  to  give  the  tracts  a  se- 
cond perusal.  He  began  reading  them  attentively  ; 
and,  as  he  read,  much  which  before  was  unintelligi- 
ble now  revealed  its  meaning.  Suddenly,  it  occur- 
red to  him,  like  a  light  flashing  into  a  dark  place, 
that  there  was  a  correspondence  between  these 
books  and  the  visions  of  his  illness.  The  former 
were  a  key  and  explanation  of  the  latter.  They 
mutually  confirmed  each  other.  The  "venerable 
old  man"  whom  he  had  beheld  sitting  on  the  throne 
was  God,  the  heavenly  Father,  and  the  man  of 
"  middle  age,"  who  had  instructed  and  aided  him  in 
exterminating  the  demons,  was  Jesus,  the  Saviour  of 
the  world.  These  demons  were  the  idols  worshiped 
by  his  countrymen  ;  and  the  brothers  and  sisters, 
whom  he  had  been  directed  to  spare,  were  the  wor- 
shipers themselves. 

This  confirmation  of  the  reality  of  his  visions 
filled  the  heart  of  Siu-tshuen  with  joy.  His  imagi- 
nation being  excited  to  the  highest  pitch,  he  saw 


•  Compare  the  statement  of  Rev.  I. ,  J.  Roberts,  in  "  Putnam's 
Monthly."  October,  1856. 


HE    BAPTIZES   HIMSELF.  99 

the  idols  of  the  land  already  cast  down  from  their  ~^ 
shrines,  as  the  demons  had  been  hurled  from  earth 
into  hell.  Straightway,  he  removed  the  tablet  of 
Confucius  from  his  school-room,  and  persuaded  his 
fellow-student,  Li,  who  had  caught  a  portion  of  his 
enthusiasm,  to  throw  away  his  idols.  Then,  learn- 
ing from  the  Christian  books  the  necessity  of  bap- 
tism to  salvation,  they  took  a  bowl,  and  poured 
water,  each  upon  his  own  head,  saying,  "  Purifica- 
tion from  all  sin — putting  off  the  old — regenera- 
tion." 

This  act  performed,  Siu-tshuen  gave  vent  to  his 
new  emotions  by  the  composition  of  the  following 
lines  on  repentance : 

"  "VVhen  our  transgressions  high  as  heaven  rise, 
How  well  to  trust  in  Jesus'  full  atonement  I 
We  follow  not  the  demons  ;  we  obey 
The  holy  precepts — worshiping  alone 
One  God,  and  thus  we  cultivate  our  hearts. 
The  heavenly  glories  open  to  our  view, 
And  every  being  ought  to  seek  thereafter. 
I  much  deplore  the  miseries  of  hell. 
O  turn  ye  to  the  fruits  of  true  repentance  1 
Let  not  your  hearts  be  led  by  worldly  customs." 


XVII. 

HE   MAKES    PROSELYTES  AND  0BDER8   A   SWOBD. 

Siu-TSHUEN  now  began  to  speak  freely  with  his 
friends  respecting  his  new  belief,  adducing  his  visions, 
and  the  Christian  books,  as  reciprocal  evidence  of  their 
truth.  *'  These  books,"  said  he,  "  are  certainly  sent 
purposely  by  heaven  to  me,  to  confirm  the  truth  of 
my  former  experiences ;  if  I  had  received  the  books 
without  having  gone  through  the  sickness,  I  should 
not  have  dared  to  believe  in  them,  and  on  my  own 
account  to  oppose  the  customs  of  the  whole  world ; 
if  I  had  merely  been  sick,  but  not  also  received  the 
books,  I  should  have  had  no  further  evidence  as  to 
the  truth  of  my  visions,  which  might  also  have  been 
considered  as  mere  productions  of  a  diseased  imagi- 
nation." 

In  studying  these  foreign  writings  Siu-tshuen  be- 
came most  interested  in  the  portions  of  sacred  Scrip- 
ture which  were  contained  in  them,  as  he  found 
these  both  easier  to  be  comprehended,  and   more 


HE    MAKES    PROSELYTES,    ETC*  4G1 

corroborative  of  his  dreams,  th£Y>  the  'hymilfeS 'a'tfd 
arguments  of  Liang  Afah.  His  interpretations  of^ 
the  text,  however,  were  made  to  suit  his  own  views. 
Whenever  the  personal  pronouns  occurred  in  the 
sacred  pages,  he  referred  them  to  himself ;  and  the 
word  tshuen,  signifying  perfectt  wholcy  allt  was  also 
understood  to  be  his  own  name.  Thus,  where  it 
is  written,  "  Their  voice  is  gone  out  to  the  whole 
world,"  the  country  of  Tshuen  was  meant ;  and  the 
phrase,  **  altogether  righteous,  more  to  be  desired 
than  gold,"  he  read,  "  Tshuen  is  righteous,  more  to 
be  desired  than  gold."  **  Who  can  understand,  so 
as  Tshuen,  his  errors,"  was  another  similar  reading.  J 

Supplied  with  such  apparently  striking  proofs  of  "? 
the  heavenly  origin  of  his  commission  to  preach 
against  the  worship  of  idols,  and  in  favor  of  that  of 
the  one  true  God,  he  declared  boldly  to  his  friends, 
"I  have  received  the  immediate  commands  of  God  ; 
ihr  will  of  heaven  rests  with  me.  Although  there- 
by I  should  meet  with  calamity,  difficulties,  and 
suffering,  yet,  I  am  resolved  to  act.  By  disobeying 
the  heavenly  command,  I  should  only  rouse  the 
anger  of  God  ;  and  are  not  these  books  the  founda- 
tion of  all  the  true  doctrines  contained  in  others?" 

His  first  efforts  at  gaining  proselytes  were  made 
among  his  most  intimate  friends.  Being  one  day  on 
a  visit  to  his  father's  house,  he  went  to  a  neighbor- 


10:^  TAI-PING-WANG. 

lug  .vjUa^e  to  talk  with  one  of  his  associates,  who 
was  called  P'hang.  But  this  person  not  only  re- 
mained stubborn  in  his  unbelief  of  the  new  doctrine, 
derived  from  strange  books  and  visions,  but  actually 
thought  that  Siu-tshuen  was  going  mad  again,  and 
directed  a  trustworthy  man  to  see  him  safely  home. 
Not  at  all  disheartened,  however,  by  the  ill  success 
of  his  attempt  on  the  unbelief  of  P'hang,  the  preach- 
er set  upon  his  attendant,  as  they  walked  together, 
and  plied  him  with  such  earnestness  of  argumenta- 
tion and  sincerity  of  conviction,  that,  before  reach- 
ing the  end  of  their  way,  the  latter  said,  "I  believe." 
This  was  Siu-tshuen's  second  convert,  Li  having 
been  the  first.  He  was  named  Chun,  and  was  bap- 
tized in  the  canal  along  the  pathside  by  the  wash- 

,    ingof  his  head. 

f"  With  his  two  intimate  friends,  Fung  Jun-san  and 
Hun^-Jin,  the  success  of  the  new  teacher  of  righte- 
ousness was  greater  than  it  had  been  with  P'hang. 
They  received  his  words  into  willing  minds,  and 
were  baptized  in  the  school-room  of  the  former ;  for 
both  were  teachers.  But  afterwards,  thinking  them 
not  made  sufficiently  clean,  Siu-tshuen  took  both 
down  to  the  canal,  and  had  them  thoroughly  washed 
and  scrubbed,  after  the  fashion  of  the  old  woman 
who  had  performed  the  ceremony  upon  himself  in 
heaven. 


HE    MAKES    PROSELYTES,    ETC.  108 

Thereupon,  Siu-tshuen  removed  the  idols  and  tab-  "^ 
lets  from  the  school-rooms  of  the  two  converts,  and 
indited  the  following  quartet : 

"  Besides  the  God  of  heaven  there  is  no  other  God  ; 
Why  do  the  foolish  men  take  falsehood  to  be  truth  ? 
Since  their  primeval  heart  is  altogether  lost, 
How  can  they  now  escape  defilement  from  the  dast?" 

J 
And  to  this,  Hung-Jin  wrote  a  reply  after  the 
Chinese  fashion — the  lines  concluding  with  the  same 
words — as  follows  : 

"  The  mighty  heavenly  Father,  he  is  the  one  true  God. 
Idols  are  made  of  wood,  or  moalded  from  the  clod. 
We  trust  that  Jesus  came  to  save  us  who  were  lost, 
That  we  may  soon  escape  defilement  from  the  dust." 

Hung-Jang,  more  convinced  than  ever  that  his  son 
was  as  great  a  favorite  with  the  heavenly  powers  as 
with  himself,  embraced  the  new  doctrine,  and  was 
baptized,  with  all  his  household.  But  though  this 
event  filled  the  filial  heart  of  Siu-tshuen  with  the 
greatest  satisfaction,  he  found  numerous  skeptics  in 
the  circle  of  his  friends  and  relatives.  Some  mock- 
ed ;  among  whom  was  a  siu-tsai,  by  the  name  of  Wun, 
who,  when  exhorted  to  accept  the  new  views,  re- 
plied with  such  ridicule  of  them  that  Siu-tshuen  left 
his  house  in  anger,  refusing  to  partake  of  the  fowl 
which  had  been  killed  for  him.  -j 

Hung-Jin,  also,  was  badly  beaten  by  his  elder  bro- 


104  TAI-PING-WANG. 

ther,  and  driven  out  of  the  house,  with  rent  gar- 
ments, because  he  had  removed  the  tablet  of 
Confucius  from  his  school-room,  and  thereby  lost  all 
his  pupils.  But  the  maltreated  young  man  meekly 
replied,  *'  Am  I  not  a  teacher,  and  Confucius  only  a 
dead  man  ?,  Why  should  I  worship  him  ?" 
r^  Finally,  the  elders  of  the  village,  wishing  to  hold 
a  "  feast  of  lanterns,"  desired  Siu-tshuen  and  Hung- 
Jin,  who  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  being  the  most 
accomplished  poets  of  the  day,  to  write  songs  for 
the  occasion ;  and  the  converts  declining  to  aid  by 
their  pencils  in  the  idolatrous  festivity,  they  were 
pelted  with  doggrel  by  the  offended  versifiers  of  the 
old  superstition.  Thus  arose  a  brief  war  of  verses, 
in  which  the  Christian  poets  seem  to  have  had  de- 
cidedly the  best  of  it,  and  in  the  course  of  which  the 
following  reply  was  composed  by  Siu-tshuen : 

"  Not  because  of  evil  saying, 
Did  we  disobey  your  orders  ; 
We  but  honor  God's  commandments — 
Act  according  to  his  precepts. 
Heaven's  and  perdition's  way 
Most  be  rigidly  distinguished. 
We  dare  not,  in  thoughtless  manner, 
Hurry  through  the  present  life." 

The  first  struggles  for  the  faith  having  been  at- 
tended with  a  considerable  degree  of  success,  though 
many  disbelieved,  and  others  stood  in  fear  of  the 


HE    MAKES    PROSELYTES,    ETC.  105 

people,  Siu-tshuen  was  encouraged  in  interpreting  7 
those  passages  in  the  Old  Testament  which  speak 
of  God*s  chosen  race,  as  meaning  the  Chinese,  and 
of  the  promised  possession  of  the  heavenly  kingdom 
as  referring  to  the  empire  to  be  reserved  for  himself 
and  his  followers.  To  prepare  himself  and  his  friend  \ 
Li,  therefore,  for  playing  the  parts  of  a  Moses  and  a 
Joshua,  he  ordered  two  swords  to  be  made  of  the 
weight  of  nine  pounds  English,  each  ;  three  and  a 
half  feet  in  length  ;  and  to  be  inscribed  with  charac- 
ters signifying,  **  Demon-Exterminating  Sword."      ^ 

Thereupon,  rejoicing  in  the  anticipated  triumph 
of  their  faith,  they  chanted  together  the  following 
hymn,  written  by  Siu-tshuen : 

"  With  the  three ^oot  sword  ia  oar  hand, 
Do  we  quiet  the  sea  and  the  land. 
Surrounded  by  ocean,  all  forming  one  clan, 
Dwells  man  in  harmonious  union. 
We  seize  all  the  demons,  and  shut  them  up 
In  the  depths  of  the  earth  ; 
We  gather  the  traitorg,  and  let  them  fall 
la  the  heavenly  net. 
All  the  four  parts  of  tho  world 
Depend  on  the  sovereign  pole. 
The  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  stars, 
Join  in  the  chorus  of  triumph. 
The  tigers  roar,  the  dragon  sings ; 
The  world  is  full  of  light. 
When  over  all  great  peace  prevails, 
O,  what  a  state  of  bliss !'' 
5* 


XVIII. 

HE   GOES   TO   THE   MOXTNTAINS   OF  KWAN0-8I. 

While  the  religious  enthusiasm  of  Siu-tshuen 
mounted  so  high  that,  like  the  Apostle  Peter,  he 
demanded  a  sword,  the  amount  of  cash  in  his  pockets 
was  daily  running  lower  and  lower.  The  removal 
of  the  tablet  of  Confucius  from  the  wall  of  his  room 
had  cleared  it  of  pupils,  and  left  his  bamboos  with- 
out a  single  back  to  be  exercised  on.  "  No  scholars, 
no  rice,"  is  an  adage  with  Chinese  professors ;  and 
Siu-tshuen's  present  experience  did  not  disprove  it. 

r  Finding,  then,  by  the  poverty  to  which  he  was 
reduced  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks,  that  preach- 
ing in  Hwa-hien  would  not  keep  him  from  starva- 
tion, and  reading,  at  the  same  time,  in  the  foreign 
scriptures,  that  a  prophet  is  not  without  honor,  save 
in  his  own  country,  and  in  his  own  house,  he  con- 
ceived the  design  of  setting  off  on  a  mission  to  his 

^  relatives  in  the  province  of  Kwang-si.  Two  mem- 
bers of  the  Hung  clan,  there  resident,  had  come  the 


THE    MOUNTAINS    OF    KWANG-SI.  107 

previous  year  on  a  visit  to  Hwa-hien,  and  had  car- 
ried back  the  news  of  the  new  religion.  Siu-tshuen, 
therefore,  resolved  to  follow  in  the  track  of  these 
forerunners.  He  had  never  in  his  life  been  further 
from  home  than  Canton,  and  the  journey  to  the  dis- 
tant mountains  of  Kwang-si  was  not  without  its 
attractions  to  the  romantic  mind  of  the  dweller  in 
the  rice-plains.  But  how  to  subsist  on  the  way, 
was  the  question.  This,  however,  he  resolved,  by 
determining  that  he  would  trust  to  Divine  Provi- 
dence, and  the  trade,  which  he  proposed  to  take  up, 
of  peddling  pencils  and  ink-stones. 

Accordingly,  taking  with  him  Fung  Yun-san,  and 
two  others,  he  started,  in  the  second  month  of  the 
year  eighteen  hundred  and  forty-four,  for  Kwang-si. 
With  a  few  pencils  and  ink-stones  in  their  pockets 
instead  of  cashy  these  humble  schoolmasters  set  off 
on  their  errand  of  proselytism,  as  poor  as  the  inspired 
fishermen,  when  commencing  the  circuit  of  Galilee ; 
but,  as  they  took  the  first  step  on  their  way,  the  re- 
cording angel  of  heaven  wrote  down  in  the  book  of 
life  the  names  of  tens  and  hundreds  of  thousands 
who  were  to  be  converted  from  the  worship  of 
idols. 

In  a  few  days  the  travelers  reached  a  district 
called  Clear-far,  where  resided  a  branch  of  the  Li 
family,  and  where  afterwards  Hung-Jin  had -great 


108  TAI-PING-WANG. 

success  in  both  teaching  and  baptizing.  They  pre- 
pared the  way  for  his  coming ;  for  they  spent  nearly 
a  week  here,  proclaiming  the  doctrines  that  men 
should  abstain  from  idolatry,  and  worship  the  one 
true  God,  who  had  sent  his  Son  into  the  world  to 
save  from  hell  all  those  who  should  repent,  and  be- 
lieve in  his  name.  Many  received  their  words  with 
faith,  and  gave  them  the  means  of  continuing  their 
journey. 

With  cheerful  hearts,  therefore,  they  went  on  their 
way  from  Clear-far ;  and  Siu-tshuen,  as  he  surveyed 
the  beautiful  panorama  from  the  high  ground  on 
which  stood  the  village  where  he  had  been  enter- 
tained, gave  vent  to  his  delight  by  chanting  his  odes, 
together  with  the  nineteenth,  and  thirty-third  psalms, 
which  he  had  committed  to  memory  from  the  vo- 
lumes of  Liang  Afah.  * 

It  was  in  the  third  month  that  the  pilgrims 
reached  the  foot  of  the  mountains  of  Kwang-si. 
Hitherto  they  had  advanced  on  their  journey  with- 
out much  inconvenience,  preaching  as  they  went, 
and  obtaining  at  least  sufficient  contributions  to 
supply  their  daily  wants.  But  as  the  mountains, 
inhabited  in  part  by  the  wild  tribes  of  the  Miautsz', 
now  rose  in  their  path,  the  hearts  of  the  two  attend- 
ants of  Siu-tshuen  and  Yun-san  failed  them,  and 
they  turned  back.     But  it  was  not. in  the  nature  of 


THE    MOUNTAINS    OF    KWANG-SI.  109 

either  of  the  others  to  do  this.  They  bravely  breasted 
the  mountain-side,  and  penetrated,  though  without  a 
guide,  into  its  narrow  defiles  and  valleys. 

The  lively  air  of  the  elevated  region  elated  the 
spirits  of  Siu-tshuen,  reminding  him  of  the  golden 
days  of  his  youth,  spent  in  tending  herds  in  the  hill- 
country.  Whenever  he  sat  down  to  rest,  the  most 
pleasing  reflections  arose  in  his  mind  as  spontane- 
ously as  grew  the  orange-colored  fi*uit  of  the  kum- 
quat  over  his  head ;  and  he  recalled  to  memory  the 
saying  of  Confucius  that,  "By  studying  in  the  re- 
tirement of  the  mountains  and  water-falls,  man  re- 
turns to  the  primitive  goodness  of  his  nature." 
Having  also  a  keen  enjoyment  of  the  beauties  of 
natural  scenery,  he  took  great  delight,  as  he  climbed 
the  summits,  in  turning  round  to  survey  the  land- 
scape of  the  plains,  lying  far  lower  than  any  he  had 
before  seen.  His  eye,  likewise,  was  attracted  by 
the  noble  forest-growth ;  and  as  repeatedly  during 
his  journey  he  had  called  the  attention  of  Yun-san 
to  the  hills  completely  covered  with  white  camellias, 
or  the  yellow  azaleas — to  the  lakes,  and  canal-sides, 
gay  with  lotus  flowers — and  to  ravines  where  the  bam- 
boo, both  black  and  yellow,  shot  up  nearly  fifty  feet 
in  the  air  its  clean,  straight  stem,  with  graceful  top, 
and  branches  waving  in  the  wind — so  now  he  spoke 
often  of  the  beauty  of  the  tall  pines  and  oaks,  the 


110  T  AI-PING-WANG. 

yews  and  cypresses,  the  camphor  and  the  tallow- 
tree,  and  also  of  the  fragrant  tropical  brushwood, 
including  the  downy  myrtle,  with  its  rose-colored 
blossoms,  the  camellia  japonicas,  of  the  single  red 
variety,  twenty  or  thirty  feet  high,  and  the  lovely 
glycine,  climbing  to  the  loftiest  tree-tops,  and  hang- 
ing its  flowering  festoons  gracefully  from  branch  to 
branch.  Yun-san,  on  the  other  hand,  reminded  his 
companion  that  they  were  in  the  midst  of  that  region 
which  supplied  the  best  materials  for  coffins  in  the 
country,  and  quoted  the  common  saying  that,  **  To 
render  life  perfectly  happy,  it  is  necessary  to  be  born 
at  Su-chau,  in  order  to  be  handsome ;  to  live  at  Canton, 
to  be  luxurious  ;  and  to  die  in  the  province  of  Kwang- 
si,  whose  forests  yield  beautiful  wood  for  coffins." 

After  four  days  had  been  spent  in  wandering  about 
in  the  mountains,  the  two  friends  fell  in  with  a 
Chinese  schoolmaster,  by  the  name  of  Kiang,  who 
was  teaching  in  one  of  the  villages  of  the  Miautsz'. 
This  pedagogue,  glad  to  meet  with  persons  of  his 
own  profession  from  the  lowlands,  not  only  enter- 
tained them  cheerfully,  and  gave  them  some  supplies 
and  directions  for  the  remainder  of  their  journey,  but 
also  allowed  himself  to  be  converted  to  their  faith. 

With  renewed  strength,  then,  they  resumed  their 
travels ;  but  they  were  destined  to  meet  with  much 
fatigue  and  privation  before  coming  to  the  end  of 


THE    MOUNTAINS    OF    KWANG-SI.  Ill 

them.  There  were  but  few  villages  on  their  route ; 
and  the  occasional  sheds,  kept  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  wayfarers,  rarely  furnished  them  with  any- 
thing more  than  a  roof,  a  cup  of  tea,  and,  perhaps,  a 
few  sugar-cakes.  But  Siu-tshuen  and  his  compan- 
ion bravely  followed  the  direction  of  the  Chinese 
proverb,  which  says,  "  What  is  lacking  in  food  must 
be  made  up  in  water."  Of  this  there  was  enough  ; 
for  all  the  valleys  were  threaded  by  streams,  the 
passing  of  which  was  sometimes  no  easy  matter. 
The  bridges,  where  there  were  any,  consisted  of 
large  stones  thrown  into  the  water,  or  trees  felled 
across  from  bank  to  bank,  or,  in  some  instances,  of 
iron  chains  with  planks  to  walk  upon.  But  Siu- 
tshuen  followed  the  path  as  it  crossed  the  torrents, 
climbed  the  steeps,  and  wound  round  the  preci- 
pices, as  if  it  were  all  a  path  of  faith.  The  immense 
and  fantastically  shaped  masses  of  rock,  the  deep 
chasms,  the  tumbling  cascades,  the  winds  sighing  in 
the  pines,  and  the  tempest  rattling  among  the 
crags,  all  filled  his  mind  with  awe,  greater  even 
than  that  he  had  experienced  when  walking  in  his 
dreams  through  the  gardens  and  the  palace  of  the 
Lord  of  heaven. 

At  length,  at  the  end  of  nearly  three  weeks  of 
wandering  through  the  mountains,  during  which 
time  the  two  companions  sometimes  for  twenty-four 


112  T  AI-PING-WANG. 

hours  together  partook  of  no  other  sustenance  than 
roots  and  berries,  and  that  kind  of  food  commended 
in  the  proverb  before  mentioned,  the  travelers 
arrived  at  Valley-home,  the  residence  of  their  rela- 
tive Wang.  It  was  indeed  with  joy  and  thanks  to 
God  that  they  shook  off  the  dust  of  their  long  and 
perilous  journey  at  the  hospitable  threshold  of  their 
kinsman,  who  in  turn  manifested  scarcely  less  satis- 
faction on  seeing  Siu-tshuen  and  his  friend,  respect- 
ing whom  the  two  clansmen,  returned  the  year  be- 
fore from  Hwa-hien,  had  given  him  some  information. 
Here  the  evangelists  remained  several  months, 
teaching  daily  the  new  doctrine  to  this  branch  of 
the  tribe  of  the  Hungs.  And  such  was  the  sin- 
cerity with  which  Siu-tshuen  narrated  the  history 
of  his  books  and  visions,  and  such  the  eloquence  with 
which  he  urged  the  turning  away  from  idols  to  the 
w^orship  of  the  one  true  God,  and  of  Jesus  his  Son, 
who  had  made  an  atonement  for  the  sins  of  the 
world,  that  not  only  Wang,  but  several  hundred 
others,  believed  the  good  news  of  salvation  from  the 
pains  of  hell,  and  were  baptized.  Siu-tshuen  was 
looked  upon  as  having  come  down  from  heaven  to 
reveal  unto  them  the  new  doctrine.  They  believed 
him  to  be  more  than  a  mortal.  And  this  belief  was 
considerably  strengthened  by  the  circumstance  that 
a  petition,  which  he  wrote  in  behalf  of  a  son  of 


THE    MOUNTAINS    OF    KWANG-SI.  113 

Wang,  who  had  been  unjustly  thrown  into  prison 
by  the  local  magistrate,  had  the  effect  of  procuring 
a  release.  Only  a  messenger  from  heaven,  it  was 
thought,  could  so  easily  unlock  the  prison-doors  of 
the  petty  tyrant  of  the  district ;  and  the  young  man 
himself,  by  name  Wang-ugi,  believed  in  his  rescuer 
as  the  unbound  Peter  did  in  the  angel  who  had  de- 
livered him  out  the  hand  of  Herod.  -^ 

When  at  length  the  tenth  month  came,  Siu-tshu-~^ 
en  directed  Yun-san  to  return  to  Hwa-hien,  pur- 
posing himself  to  remain  some  time  longer.  Yun- 
san  accordingly  departed ;  but  being  well  received 
at  a  place  on  the  way,  called  Thistle-mount,  he 
took  up  his  abode  there ;  and,  during  several  years, 
continued,  not  only  teaching,  but  also  preaching 
with  80  great  success  that  large  numbers  were  bap- 
tized, and  a  society  was  established,  which  became 
known  under  the  title  of  **  The  Congregation  of  the 
Worshipers  of  God." 

Soon  after,  Siu-tshuen  himself,  having  success- 
fully accomplished  the  object  of  his  mission,  left 
Valley-home ;  and,  returning  by  a  shorter  route, 
reached  Hwa-hien  before  the  end  of  the  year.  This, 
however,  was  not  a  final  leave-taking  of  his  friends 
in  Kwang-si ;  for  it  was  destined  that  the  insurrec- 
tion should  commence  in  this  province.  But  the 
fullness  of  time  had  not  yet  come. 


XIX. 

HE   WRITES   REUaiOUS   ESSAYS   AND   POEMS. 

When,  on  the  return  home  of  Siu-tshuen,  it  be- 
came known  that  he  had  accomplished  the  journey 
to  the  distant  mountains  of  Kwang-si,  and  there 
preached  the  new  doctrine  with  great  success,  his 
reputation  rose  higher  than  it  had  ever  been  before 
through  all  the  villages  in  his  native  district.  He 
was  regarded  both  as  a  far-traveled  man,  and  the 
founder  of  a  new  religious  sect.  Many,  therefore, 
who  would  not  listen  to  his  words  before  he  had 
not  been  further  from  home  than  Canton,  now  gath- 
ered around  the  missionary  who  had  told  the  story  of 
his  books  and  dreams  in  the  mountains  of  the  wild 
Miautsz'.  Some,  who  had  been  the  loudest  mock- 
ers, gladly  submitted  their  heads  to  baptism  in  the 
canal ;  and  Siu-tshuen  became  established  as  a  regu- 
lar preacher  of  the  foreign  righteousness,  with  a 
respectable  body  of  followers.  He  was  also  suc- 
cessful in  reopening  his  school,  which  he  continued 


HE    WRITES    RELIGIOUS    ESSAYS    AND   POEMS.    115 

to  teach  for  the  space  of  two  years,  the  boys  soon 
forgetting  the  tablet  of  Confucius,  the  absence  of 
which  at  first  had  raised  their  queues  in  terror. 

During  these  two  years  a  large  number  of  verses  ^ 
and  essays  were  written  by  him  on  the  subject  of 
the  new  religion,  the  principal  of  which  were 
afterwards  rewritten  and  published  in  "  The  Impe- 
rial Declaration  of  Tai-ping-wang,"  under  the  titles 
of,  "  An  Ode  on  the  Origin  of  Virtue  and  the  Saving 
of  the  World,"  *'  An  Ode  on  Correctness,  *'  An  Essay 
on  the  Origin  of  Virtue,  for  the  Awakening  of  the 
Age,"  and,  "  Further  Exhortations  on  the  Origin  of 
Virtue,  for  the  Awakening  of  the  Age."*  } 

In  the  ode,  the  poet  declares  that  all  men  are 
created  with  a  '*  natural  conscience"  to  teach  them 
what  is  right,  and  that,  from  the  time  of  Pwan-koo, 
the  first  Chinese  man,  down  to  that  of  the  three 
dynasties,  which  was  about  two  hundred  years  be- 
fore Christ,  they  obeyed  it.  and  worshiped  the  one 
true  God — Shang-Teh.  He  is  represented  as  being 
the  common  father  of  the  human  family ;  and  by 
his  decrees,  which  constitute  fate,  are  all  the  events 
of  life  determined. 

•*  He  warms  us  by  his  sun,  he  nourishes  us  by  his  rain, 
He  moves  the  thunder-bolt,  he  scatters  the  wind." 

*  Compare  Ho.  of  Reps.  Ex.  Doc.,  No.  123,XXXind  Congress, 
Ist  Session,  pp.  144-155. 


116  T  AI-PING- WANG. 

"  God  should  be  worshiped,"  continues  the  poet, 
"morning  and  evening  ;  but  the  best  service  which 
can  be  rendered  him  is  that  of  a  virtuous  life."  Vir- 
tue is  defined,  in  a  Confucian  sense,  to  be  correct- 
ness, or  the  avoiding  of  extremes  in  desire  and  con- 
duct ;  and  the  golden  rule  is  adduced  as  the  best 
practical  guide  of  life. 

"  Do  as  you  would  be  done  by,  and  you  will  always  do  right." 
"  If  you  do  not  regard  small  matters,  you  will  at  length  spoil  great 
virtues." 

Among  the  vices  chiefly  condemned,  is  dis- 
obedience to  parents,  which  is  declared  to  be 
disobedience  to  God  ;  and  as 

"  The  lamb  kneels  to  reach  the  teat— the  crow  retonu  the  food  to 
its  dam, 
So  when  men  are  not  equal  to  brutes,  they  disgrace  their  origin." 

Another  vice  which  is  stigmatized,  is  lewdness ; 
for, 

*'  Those  who  debauch  others,  debauch  themselves,  and  they  be- 
come fiends  together." 

A  third  wrong  specified,  is  murder,  and  the  in- 
jury of  others. 

"  AH  under  heaven  are  our  brethren. 
From  of  old,  those  who  have  saved  others,  have  thereby  saved 

themselves. 
Happiness  is  of  one's  own  seeking,  and  is  easily  obtained. 


HE    WRITES    RELIGIOUS    ESSAYS    AND    POEMS.    117 

From   of  old,  those  who  have  iojared  others,  have  injured  them- 
selves. 
Misery  is  of  one's  own  choosing,  and  is  with  difQculty  avoided." 

Other  violations  of  the  divine  law  enumerated  are 
robbery,  theft,  gambling,  and  the  excessive  use  of 
wine  and  opium. 

The  prose  essays  inculcate  liberality  of  sentiment 
and  conduct,  not  only  between  man  and  man,  but 
also  between  nations.  The  feuds  among  clans,  and 
the  mutual  contempt  entertained  by  different  tribes 
and  peoples,  proceed  from  ignorance  of  each  other's 
character,  and  from  narrow-mindedness. 

The  general  principle  is  laid  down  that  univer- 
sality is  the  only  test  of  truth.  The  opinions  of  the 
day,  and  of  the  neighborhood,  are  to  be  suspected 
as  contracted  and  false,  unless  confirmed  by  the 
beliefs  of  men  of  all  ages,  and  in  all  parts  of  the 
earth.  "  When  the  mind  is  enlarged,  happiness  is 
great,'*  says  the  essayist ;  "  but  contracted  views 
are  like  those  of  a  frog  at  the  bottom  of  a  well." 

The  folly,  also,  of  the  superstitious  notions  of 
Buddha  and  Taou  are  pointed  out ;  various  idola- 
trous beliefs,  which  have  prevailed  at  particular 
times  and  places,  are  condemned  ;  and  the  good 
days  of  Yaou  and  Shun  are  praised,  when  "  men, 
who  possessed  anything,  regarded  those  who  pos- 
sessed it  not ;  they  aided  each  other  in  calamity ; 


lid 


TAI-PING-WANG. 


at  night  no  man  closed  his  doors,  and  no  man  picked 
up  that  which  was  dropped  on  the  road ;  men  and 
women  walked  on  separate  paths ;  and,  in  promot- 
ing men  to  office,  virtue  was  chiefly  regarded." 

Several  of  these  doctrines  are  illustrated  by  the 
following  ode. 

"  God  is  originally  our  universal  Father ; 
Afl  the  spring  to  the  fountain  and  the  root  to  the  tree,  so  is  he  the 

true  origin. 
Liberal-hearted,  he  treats  one  nation  like  another  ; 
Kindly  disposed,  he  regards  the  inhabitants  of  earth  and  heaven 

alike. 
When  brutes  injure  each  other,  it  is  still  improper  ; 
But  when  neighbors  slay  one  another,  it  is  far  more  wicked. 
Heaven  having  produced  and  nourished  us  all,  we  should  be 

harmonious ; 
Let  us,  then,  promote  each  other's  peace,  and  enjoy  tranquillity.-' 

But  while  occupied  with  the  composition  of  these 
writings,  there  was  a  secret  thought  in  the  bottom 
of  Siu-tshuen's  heart,  to  which  he  gave  no  public 
utterance.  This  was  intrusted  only  to  the  ears  of 
his  faithful  friend  Hung- Jin,  then  a  teacher  at 
Clear-far,  where  he  had  succeeded  in  getting  a 
school,  by  so  far  compromising  his  principles  as  to 
allow  his  pupils  to  worship  Confucius,  while  he  did 
not  do  it  himself.  But,  being  both  intelligent  and 
devoted  to  Siu-tshuen,  he  was  made  a  confidant  of 
by  the  latter,  who  revealed  to  him  the  wish,  which 
had  sprung  up,  and  was  kept  hid  in  his  breast,  to 


HE    WHITES    RELIGIOUS    ESSAYS    AND    POEMS.     119 

deliver  his  countrymen  some  day  from  the  bondage 
of  the  Manchus. 

As  he  reflected  how,  for  two  hundred  years,  these 
Tartars,  though  comparatively  a  handful,  had  ruled 
over  the  native  Chinese,  still  keeping  their  own 
race  distinct,  residing  in  separate  quarters  of  the 
cities,  and  retaining  in  their  hands  all  the  chief 
offices  of  the  army,  and  a  large  proportion  of  those 
of  the  state,  his  heart  burned  within  him,  and  he 
said  one  day  to  Jin,  **  God  has  divided  the  kingdoms 
of  the  world,  and  made  the  ocean  to  be  a  boundary 
for  them,  just  as  a  father  divides  his  estates  among 
his  sons  ;  every  one  of  whom  ought  to  reverence  the 
will  of  his  father,  and  quietly  manage  his  own  pro- 
perty. Why,  now,  should  these  Manchus  forcibly 
enter  China,  and  rob  their  brothers  of  their  estate  ?" 

At  a  later  period,  he  reverted  to  the  subject  in  a 
tone  of  more  confidence,  saying,  ♦*  If  God  will  help 
me  to  recover  our  estate,  I  ought  to  teach  all 
nations  to  hold  every  one  its  own  possessions,  with- 
out injuring  or  robbing  one  another ;  we  will  have 
intercourse  in  communicating  true  principles  and 
wisdom  to  each  other,  and  receive  each  other  with 
propriety  and  politeness  ;  we  will  serve  to- 
gether one  common  heavenly  Father,  and  honor 
together  the  doctrines  of  one  common  heavenly 
Brother,  the  Saviour  of  the  world  ;  this  has  been 


120  TAI-PING-WANG. 

the  wish  of  my  heart  since  the  time  when  my  soul 
was  taken  up  to  heaven." 

Not  long  after,  Siu-tshuen  had  a  dream,  which 
made  considerable  impression  on  his  mind,  wherein 
he  saw  a  globe  of  fire  like  the  sun,  hovering  over 
his  head,  and  which  became  associated  in  his 
thoughts  with  the  famous  king  whose  coming,  at 
the  end  of  five  hundred  years,  was  foretold  by  Men- 
cius.  Believing  this  personage  to  be  none  other 
than  himself,  and  that  he  was  destined  not  only  to 
remove  the  idols  out  of  the  land,  but  also  to  expel 
the  Manchus,  he  composed  the  following  lines  upon 
the  subject : 

"  Now  that  five  hundred  ycara  have  past, 

The  true  sun  moves  in  sight ; 
And  how  shall  these  poor  glowworms  dare 

To  rival  it  in  light? 
On  its  suspense  in  heaven's  arch 

All  vapors  disappear  ; 
And  as  it  shines,  demons  and  imps 

Are  hidden  out  of  fear. 
The  North  and  South,  the  East  and  West, 

To  it  their  homage  pay. 
And  hosts  of  the  barbarian  tribes 

Are  yielding  to  its  sway. 
The  stars,  by  its  great  splendor,  in 

Obscurity  are  hurled. 
And  solely  its  pure  brilliant  rays 

Illuminate  the  world." 

At  this  time,  Siu-tshuen  said  nothing  to  any  one, 


HE    WRITES   RELIGIOUS    ESSAYS    AND    POEMS.     121 

excepting  his  friend,  Hung-Jin,  respecting  his  hope 

of  delivering  his  countrymen  from  the  yoke  of  the 

Tartars,    but    he    often  pondered   over  it  in   his 

heart. 
6 


XX. 

HE   VISITS    AN    AMERICAN    MISSIONARY    IN    CANTON. 

Meanwhile,  the  news  was  brought  to  Ilwa-hien 
by  one  Mou-li-pau,  wlio  often  came  and  went  be- 
tween this  district  and  the  capital  of  the  province, 
that  a  foreign  missionary  was  preaching,  at  Canton, 
doctrines  similar  to  those  promulgated  by  Siu- 
tshuen.  And  some  time  after,  the  same  person, 
having  given  information  to  this  missionary  respect- 
ing the  new  religious  sect  in  llwa-hien  and  Kwang- 
si,  brought  a  letter  from  the  latter's  assistant  to 
Siu-tshuen,  inviting  him  to  *'  come  and  assist  him 
in  preaching." 

Upon  the  reception  of  this  invitation,  Siu-tshuen, 
taking  with  him  his  friend  Hung-Jin,  went  to  Can- 
ton, and  presented  himself  before  the  American  mis- 
sionary. Rev.  I.  J.  Roberts. 

He  was  then  about  thirty-four  years  of  age ;  was 
five  feet  five  inches  in  height ;  and  in  person  was 
muscular,   broad-shouldered,    and    generally   well- 


HE    VISITS    AN    AMERICAN    MISSIONARY.         123 

proportioned.  His  hands  and  feet  were  small.  His 
head  was  oval,  with  regular  and  decidedly  hand- 
some features ;  a  complexion  of  the  color  of  an  oak- 
leaf  faded  ;  dark,  hair,  though  inclining  to  brown  in 
the  beard;  small  ears;  nose  higher  than  usual  in 
his  countrymen  ;  and  eyes  black,  large,  and  pene- 
trating the  beholder.  He  had  also  been  endowed 
by  nature  with  a  voice  for  oratory  and  command — 
it  being  clear,  sonorous,  and  musical  in  its  intona- 
tions. His  manners  were  marked  by  the  polite 
affability  so  characteristic  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
"central  flowery  kmgdom  ;"  though  a  certain  air  of 
self-respect,  together  with  a  dash  of  grave  earnest- 
ness, did  not  invite  undue  familiarity,  but  rather 
served  to  throw  about  his  otherwise  attractive  pres- 
ence a  circle  of  deference  and  ceremony. 

Presenting,  on  his  introduction  to  Mr.  Roberts,  a 
detailed  account,  in  writing,  of  his  life  and  visions, 
he  was  received  into  good  fellowship,  and  intro- 
duced to  a  number  of  persons  more  or  less  connect- 
ed with  the  mission.  The  native  assistants  were 
directed  to  explain  to  him  the  Word  of  God  more 
thoroughly;  and,  at  the  end  of  a  month,  two  of 
them  went  with  him  on  an  excursion  to  Hwa-hien, 
where  they  spent  a  few  days  in  preaching  the  Gos- 
pel to  his  friends  and  followers. 

After  his  return  to  Canton,  he  remained  still  an- 


124  TAI-PIXG-WAXG. 

other  month  sitting  at  the  feet  of  his  instructors  in 
Christianity,  and  making  rapid  progress  in  master- 
ing the  ideas  of  a  new  and  higher  civilization. 

But,  being  now  as  poor  in  this  world's  goods  as 
he  was  richly  endowed  with  intellect  and  imagina- 
tion, he  was  desirous  of  being  permanently  engaged 
at  the  mission  as  an  assistant,  and  thereby  securing 
the  means  of  support,  while  he  continued  to  prose- 
cute the  study  of  Christianity.  But  this  coming  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  other  native  assistants,  they 
plotted  together  to  do  Siu-tshuen  an  injury  in  the 
estimation  of  their  employer,  for  fear  lest  his  supe- 
rior talent  might  prove  the  cause  of  their  being 
supplanted.  They,  accordingly,  instigated  the  new 
disciple  to  make  such  an  application  for  support  as 
could  not  consistently  be  granted.  Indeed,  his 
wish  to  receive  baptism  being  coupled  with  a  prop- 
osition to  fill  the  situation  of  assistant,  seems  to 
have  awakened  some  distrust  of  his  integrity  in  the 
mind  of  the  missionary,  who,  not  fully  appreciating 
the  high  qualities  of  the  new  convert,  and  having 
no  presentiment  of  the  great  part  he  was  about  to 
play  in  his  country's  affairs,  deferred  the  period  of 
his  being  received  into  the  communion  of  the  church 
until  after  he  should  have  served  out  a  longer  proba- 
tion. But  this  putting  of  him  off  did  not  suit  either 
Siu-tshuen's  sense  of  self-respect,  or  the  reduced 


HE    VISITS    AN    AMERICAN    MISSIONARY.         125 

state  of  his  finances ;  so  that  he  had  no  choice  left 
but  to  take  his  leave  of  a  mission,  which  could 
neither  appreciate  nor  employ  him.* 

Though  utterly  destitute  of  the  means  of  travel-  ^ 
ing,  this  circumstance  did  not  prevent  his  resolving 
to  make  another  visit  to  his  converts  in  Kwang-si. 
He  had  not  succeeded  in  gaining  admission  to  the 
Christian  church  any  more  than  he  had  into  "  The 
Forest  of  Pencils  Society;*'  but  a  strong  confidence 
in  his  destiny  prevented  his  spirits  from  being  cast 
down,  or  the  energy  of  his  purpose  from  being 
abated. 

•  Note  B,  Appendix. 


XXI. 

HE  MAKES    ANOTHER  JOXJRNEY   TO  KWANG-SI. 

On  his  second  tour  to  Kwang-si,  Siu-tshuen  set 
off  alone.  For  Hung-Jin  had  previously  returned 
to  Hwa-hien,  _ where,  the  death  of  doctor  Ki-hi 
occurring  at  the  time,  he  at  once  exchanged  his 
bamboo  for  the  pole  and  flag  of  the  departed  Hip- 
pocrates, and,  by  help  of  a  few  odd  volumes  of  the 
"  Golden  Mirror  of  Medical  Practice,"  very  soon 
came  to  discourse  even  more  learnedly  upon  acu- 
puncture and  decoctions  than  ever  had  done  his 
predecessor. 

The  equipment  of  Siu-tshuen  for  a  journey  of 
more  than  two  hundred  miles,  consisted  of  a  string 
of  one  hundred  cash,  given  him  for  his  services  by 
the  chief  assistant  of  the  missionary,  and  of  an  extra 
jacket.  With  this,  and  faith  in  heaven,  he  went 
boldly  forth.  Being  too  poor,  however,  to  pay  for 
a  passage  by  boat,  he  was  obliged  to  rely  on  his 
legs  for  conveyance ;  and,  before  going  far,  he  fell 


ANOTHER   JOURNEY    TO    KWANG-SI.  127 

among  robbers,  who  stripped  him  of  all  superfluous 
clothing,  and  relieved  his  pockets  of  what  small 
weight  of  copper  cash  there  was  in  them.  Siu- 
tshuen  then  found  himself  in  a  very  sorry  plight  for 
continuing  his  journey,  much  more  for  driving  out 
of  the  land  either  idols,  or  Manchus.  Still  he  had 
one  jacket  left,  and,  knowing  that  there  would  be 
at  least  plenty  of  water  for  food  as  well  as  for  drink 
all  the  way  to  the  mountains,  he  kept  on. 

One  day,  in  his  extremity,  he  bethought  himself 
of  the  prefect  of  the  district  of  Shau-king,  through 
which  he  was  passing,  and  resolved  to  write  a  peti- 
tion for  assistance,  with  a  statement  of  who  he  was, 
and  where  he  was  going.  This  brought  a  reply,  in 
which  the  official  took  refuge  in  the  technicality 
that  Moi-tszu-siu,  the  place  where  Siu-tshuen  had 
dated  his  petition,  was  not  in  his  jurisdiction,  but 
within  that  of  the  prefect  of  the  adjoining  district 
of  Tek-king.  But  after  an  interview  with  the 
traveler,  he  was  induced  so  far  to  modify  his  re- 
fusal as  to  advance  the  small  sum  of  four  hundred 
cash. 

A  few  days  afterwards,  when  Siu-tshuen  was  sit- 
ting, well  nigh  disheartened,  on  the  bank  of  the 
Pearl  river,  a  man  passed  by  who  said  to  him :  "  A 
broken  chord  is  mended  with  a  line  ;  and  when  the 
boat  comes  there  is  a  way  opened.*'     This  remark 


128  TAI-PIN(J-WANG. 

of  the  stranger,  struck  his  mind  forcibly  as  an  inti- 
mation from  heaven  that  he  should  go  forward ;  and 
he  resolved,  accordingly,  to  take  passage  on  board 
the  small  craft  for  carrying  passengers,  then  coming 
in  sight. 

Siu-tshuen  remained  squat  on  the  forward  deck 
of  this  vessel  for  a  couple  of  days,  eating  only  one 
meal  of  rice  in  twenty-four  hours,  but  reflecting 
much  on  the  work  to  be  done  by  him  in  Kwang-si. 
At  length,  some  of  the  passengers,  noticing  his  ab- 
stemious habits,  and  struck  by  his  prepossessing 
appearance,  entered  into  conversation  wnth  him. 
In  reply  to  their  questions,  he  made  known  his 
religious  views  and  experiences,  and,  there  being 
one  or  two  of  the  class  of  the  literati  on  board,  he 
was  enabled  to  gain  a  favorable  hearing  for  the  new 
doctrines.  In  proof  of  it,  a  small  contribution  was 
raised  in  aid  of  the  prophet  in  distress,  who  thus 
found  himself  in  funds  both  for  defraying  the  ex- 
pense of  his  passage,  and  for  proceeding  still  further 
on  his  travels. 

The  seven  days'  voyage  on  the  river  left  but 
a  small  portion  of  the  way  to  be  passed  over  on 
foot.  Accordingly,  Siu-tshuen  soon  reached  Valley- 
home,  but  learning  there  that  his  friend,  Yun-san, 
was  then  successfully  preaching  in  Thistle-mount, 
he  immediately  went  thither  to  see  him.    The  meet- 


ANOTHER   JOURNEY    TO    KWANG-SI.  129 

ing  between  the  two  friends  was  a  happy  one ;  and 
Siu-tshuen  was  delighted  to  find  a  congregation  of 
God-worshipers,  already  numbering  upwards  of  one 
thousand  souls. 


XXII. 

HE   ESTABLISHES    A    FORM   OF   WORSHIP. 

Siu-TSHUEX  now  made  Thistle-mount  his  head- 
quarters ;  and  under  his  earnest  preaching  the  num- 
ber of  the  worshipers  of  God  was  soon  more  than 
doubled.  The  new  doctrine,  also,  spread  to  the 
neighboring  departments,  more  especially  those  of 
Liang-chau,  Tsin-chau,  Yuh-kwei,  and  Poh-peh, 
where  many  learned  men  and  heads  of  clans  were 
added  to  the  different  congregations. 

Both  the  strong-minded  and  the  weak-minded 
were  affected  by  the  prevailing  enthusiasm  ;  and 
mention  is  made  of  one  good  woman,  by  the  name 
of  Yang-yun-kiau,  who  stated  that  in  the  year  ting- 
yew,  or  eighteen  hundred  and  thirty-seven,  her  soul, 
during  a  severe  fit  of  sickness,  ascended  to  heaven, 
when  she  heard  an  "  old  man"  say  to  her,  **  After  ten 
years  a  man  will  come  from  the  east,  and  teach  the 
worship  of  God ;  obey  him  willingly."  This  aged 
sister  was  esteemed  such  an  eminent  saint  and  helper 


HE    ESTABLISHES    A    FORM    OF    WORSHIP.         131 

of  the  good  work,  that,  before  the  arrival  of  Siu- 
tshuen,  the  proverb  had  got  currency  at  Thistle- 
mount  that,  "  All  men  should  study  to  be  like  Fung- 
yun-san,  and  all  women  like  Yang-yun-kiau." 

The  mode  of  worship  established  at  Thistle-mount 
borrowed  most  of  its  forms  from  Christianity,  but 
still  retained  some  of  the  practices  of  the  old  idolatry. 
The  males  and  females  of  the  congregation  were 
seated  apart  from  each  other.  In  prayer,  all  knelt 
down  facing  the  side  of  the  house  whence  came  the 
light,  and  remained,  with  closed  eyes,  while  some 
one  recited  a  petition  in  the  name  of  the  whole  as- 
sembly. God  was  praised  by  the  singing  of  a  hymn, 
in  which,  however,  there  was  but  little  melody  be- 
yond that  in  the  heart.  This  was  followed  by  an 
address  exhorting  to  refrain  from  idolatry  ;  to  repent 
of  sins  ;  to  believe  in  Jesus,  the  Saviour  of  the 
world ;  to  escape  from  the  pains  of  hell,  and  secure 
the  everlasting  joys  of  heaveo. 

When  converts  were  to  be  admitted  into  the  con- 
gregation, the  following  were  the  usual  ceremonies : 
Two  burning  lamps  and  three  cups  of  tea  were 
placed  upon  a  table ;  when  a  written  confession  of 
sins,  together  with  the  names  of  the  neophytes,  were 
read  aloud,  and  this  afterwards  offered  to  God  by 
being  burned  in  the  flame  of  the  lamps.  The  ques- 
tion was  then  asked  of  the  applicants  for  admission 


-J 

7 


132  TAI-PING-WANG. 

into  the  congregation,  if  they  promised,  "Not  to 
worship  evil  spirits,  not  to  practice  evil  things,  but 
to  keep  the  heavenly  commandments?"  This  an- 
swered in  the  affirmative,  they  knelt  down,  and  the 
person  officiating  poured  a  cup  of  water  over  each 
one's  head,  saying,  •*  Purification  from  all  former 
sins,  putting  off  the  old,  and  regeneration."  On 
rising  from  their  knees,  they  refreshed  themselves 
with  a  cup  of  tea  from  the  table,  and  generally 
finished  the  rite  of  baptism  by  some  further  washing 
of  their  hands,  faces,  and  breasts — though  many 
were  not  satisfied  short  of  a  thorough  cleansing  of 
the  person  in  a  canal  or  river.  Different  forms  of 
prayer  to  be  used  morning  and  evening,  and  at 
meals,  were  distributed  among  the  newly-admitted 
to  the  congregation ;  and,  with  the  exception  of 
the  offering  up  to  God  of  baked  meats  and  other 
articles  of  food,  at  the  principal  festivals,  there  were 
left  in  the  public  worship  few  traces  of  the  former 
superstitions. 

Even  Siu-tshuen,  himself,  had  come  only  gradually 
to  the  total  disuse  of  the  religious  forms  and  cere- 
monies in  which  he  had  been  educated.  At  first,  he 
had  placed  the  name  of  God  on  the  wall  instead  of 
that  of  Confucius,  and  had  continued,  for  a  time,  the 
use  of  burnt  paper  and  incense-sticks ;  and  when, 
afterwards,  he  removed  the  tablet,  as  too  much  sa- 


HE    ESTABLISHES    A   FORM   OF    WORSHIP.       133 

voring  of  idolatry,  his  mother-in-law  remarked  that 
it  was  a  pity  to  do  so,  because,  since  the  name  of 
God  had  been  set  up,  they  had  had  good  luck,  and 
had  added  another  field  to  their  plantation.  He 
was,  therefore,  tolerant  of  those  comparatively  harm- 
less customs  of  idolatry,  which  were,  for  a  time, 
kept  up  by  the  weak  in  faith ;  and  contented  him- 
self with  bringing  his  followers,  as  he  had  been 
brought  himself,  gradually  to  comprehend  the  more 
spiritual  nature  of  the  new  religion. 


XXIII. 

HE   DESTROYS    THE    IMAGE    OF    KAX-WAXO-YE. 

As  the  members  of  the  sect  went  on  constantly 
increasing,  its  leader  at  length  felt  strong  enough  to 
make  an  attack  on  some  of  the  principal  idols  of  the 
temples  in  the  vicinity  of  Thistle-mount. 

About  that  time,  it  was  reported  to  him  that,  in 
the  department  of  Siang-chau,  there  was  a  very 
famous  idol,  by  the  name  of  Kan-wang-ye.  During 
his  life,  this  Kan  had  been  an  inhabitant  of  the  de- 
partment, and  had  been  extremely  addicted  to  the 
arts  of  geomancy.  When,  then,  it  w^as  told  him  one 
day  by  a  magician,  that  a  "  bloody  burial"  would  be 
followed  by  great  prosperity  in  his  family,  he  imme- 
diately went  home,  and  killing  his  own  mother, 
caused  her  to  be  buried  in  the  spot  marked  out  by 
the  compasses.  The  promised  prosperity  actually 
followed ;  and,  after  a  life  spent  in  dissipation,  the 
profligate  was  worshiped  as  a  demon. 

Great  was  the  dread   which  fell   upon  all  the 


HE  DESTROYS  THE  IMAGE  OF  KAN-WANG-YE.    135 

people  before  the  image  of  this  Kan-wang-ye ;  so 
that  when  once  a  young  lad,  possessed  by  its  spirit, 
stopped  the  sedan-chair  of  a  district  magistrate,  and 
demanded,  in  the  name  of  the  idol,  a  "  dragon  robe," 
the  mandarin  dared  not  refuse  it.  The  wardens 
were  even  afraid  to  sleep  in  the  temple ;  and  when- 
ever they  entered  it  to  light  the  lamps  and  burn 
incense,  they  beat  the  gong  to  prevent  Kan-wang- 
ye  from  appearing  to  them.  Whoever  said  a  word 
against  him  was  sure  to  be  instantaneously  seized 
with  bowel-complaint,  the  course  of  which  could  be 
stayed  only  by  acknowledging  the  power  of  his  god- 
ship— at  least,  such  was  the  popular  belief. 

But  when  Siu-tshuen  heard  of  this  delusion,  his 
anger  was  aroused,  and  he  said,  *'  This  is  the  kind 
of  demons  I  used  to  exterminate  when  my  soul  was 
wandering  in  heaven."  Then,  taking  with  him 
Yun-san,  Wang-ngi,  and  a  few  others,  he  set  off  for 
the  temple  of  Kan-wang-ye. 

At  the  end  of  the  second  day  they  reached  it. 
On  approaching  the  place,  they  beheld  a  number  of 
small  temples,  scattered  over  a  hillside,  with  one 
principal  building  near  the  summit.  Up  to  this 
wound  an  avenue  shaded  by  pines,  and  so  arranged 
as  to  cross,  several  times,  by  ornamental  bridges,  a 
small  stream,  which  went  singing  along  its  way  down 
from  the  upper  springs.     The  lotus-lily  reposed  on 


136  TAI-PING-WANG. 

a  number  of  artificial  pools,  on  either  side  ;  various 
plants  were  trained  along  the  paths  in  such  profu- 
sion, that  one  almost  walked  on  flowers ;  and  clus- 
ters of  tropical  brushwood,  set  about  in  the  distance, 
breathed  a  soft,  aromatic  breath  over  the  whole 
region.  \ 

As  the  smaller  temples  were  inhabited,  each,  by 
one  or  two  priests,  these  were  sitting  in  the  cool  of 
the  day  under  their  fig-trees,  with  none  to  molest  or 
make  afraid,  unless  it  were  Kan-wang-ye  himself. 
Indeed,  this^cM^  nitiday  being  a  kind  of  banyan,  fur- 
nishes, with  its  dark  green  leaves  and  wide-spreading 
branches,  a  shade  grateful  to  anchorites,  and  gave  to 
the  temples  of  this  hillside  quite  as  much  the  look 
of  bowers  of  pleasure  as  of  retreats  of  meditation. 
Similar,  too,  was  the  effect  of  the  chime  of  delicate 
bells  of  metal,  which,  suspended  from  all  the  project- 
ing points  of  the  buildings,  sent  a  chorus  of  pleasing 
melodies  off  to  the  opposite  hills,  on  the  wings  of 
every  zephyr  that  chanced  to  float  through  the  sacred 
precincts. 

Siu-tshuen  stopped  a  moment  to  contemplate  the 
beauty  of  the  scene ;  then,  silently  praying  to  God, 
advanced  into  the  terrible  presence  of  Kan-wang-ye. 
This  was  found  to  be  a  huge  wooden  deformity, 
about  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  with  gilded  head  and 
feet.     But  not  fearing  his  gilt  godship,  and  having 


HE  DESTROYS  THE  IMAGE  OF  KAN-WANG-YE.  137 

bound,  hand  and  foot,  the  few  priests  in  attendance, 
Siu-tshuen  took  a  stick,  and  smote  him  in  the  face ; 
at  the  same  time  charging  him  with  the  commission 
of  the  ten  sins  following :  *♦  First  sin,  to  kill  his 
mother ;  second,  to  despise  God  ;  third,  to  frighten 
the  hearts  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  God  ;  fourth, 
to  covet  the  food  of  the  children  of  God ;  fifth,  to 
force  his  sister  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  a  profli- 
gate ;  sixth,  to  disseminate  obscene  songs  between 
males  and  females ;  seventh,  arrogantly  to  exalt  him- 
self; eighth,  to  extort  money  from  the  people ; 
ninth,  to  demand  a  dragon-robe  from  the  mandarin  ; 
tenth,  to  continue  his  mischief  as  a  demon." 

Thereupon,  Siu-tshuen  and  his  friends  threw  down 
the  image,  broke  it  in  pieces,  rent  its  robes,  and  de- 
stroyed the  sacrificial  vessels  of  the  temple.  This 
task  of  holy  indignation  successfully  accomplished, 
the  party  withdrew ;  and,  escaping  pursuit,  arrived 
safely  at  Thistle-mount. 


XXIV. 

HE    SUFFERS    PERSECUTION    AND    GOES    HOME. 

This  daring  feat  was  immediately  noised  abroad 
through  the  district,  and  a  large  reward  was  offered 
for  the  apprehension  of  its  perpetrators,  but  it  was 
afterwards  withdrawn,  when  the  demon,  speaking 
by  the  mouth  of  a  small  boy,  of  whom  he  had  taken 
possession,  said :  "  The  destroyers  of  idols  are  sincere 
men ;  you  are  not  able  to  hurt  them ;  be  content 
with  repairing  ray  image." 

The  reputation  of  Siu-tshuen  was  greatly  in- 
creased by  this  act ;  and  all  men  stood  in  awe  of 
him.  To  commemorate  it,  he  published  the  follow- 
ing address  to  the  idol : 

"  I  rebuke  tbe  demon  Kan-wang  by  my  pencil's  quick  decree, 
He  deserves  annihilation,  and  must  no  more  spar'd  be. 
Mother-slayer,  law-transgressor,  wilt  thou  also  God  deceive  ? 
As  thou  didst  with  many  people,  make  them  in  thy  power 

believe, 
Curs'd  to  hell  and  struck  by  lightning,  burn  and  vanish  into 

smoke. 
With   thy  horrid  wooden   body,  dost  thou  want  a  dragon 

cloak?" 


HE  SUFFERS  PERSECUTION  AND  GOES  HOME.   139 

Nor  was  his  fame  scarcely  less  augmented  by  a 
prophecy,  published  at  that  time,  respecting  another 
celebrated  shrine,  called,  "  The  temple  of  the  six 
caverns."  This  sacred  establishment  consisted  of 
several  small,  but  beautiful  stalactite  caves  in  the 
mountains,  the  entrances  to  which  were  ornamented 
with  great  care  by  means  of  various  hanging  plants, 
and  festoons  of  flowers,  as  well  as  by  the  usual 
trees,  gardens,  and  buildings.  But  as  its  groves 
and  caverns  had  been  prostituted  to  forbidden  plea- 
sures, Siu-tshuen  wrote  a  satire  upon  it,  wherein 
he  reproved  the  loose  morals  of  the  people,  and 
declared  that  the  time  would  speedily  arrive,  when 
the  images  of  the  temple  of  the  six  caverns  would 
be  destroyed,  as  had  been  that  of  Kan-wang-ye. 
And  lo  !  in  a  few  weeks  after,  an  army  of  white 
ants,  so  destructive  in  that  country,  invading  the 
temple  of  the  six  caverns,  devoured  its  entire  wood- 
work, and  ate  up  all  the  idols. 

But  the  brethren  of  the  congregation,  being  em- 
boldened to  proceed  to  great  lengths  in  the  demoli- 
tion of  images,  the  wrath  of  the  idolaters  was  vio- 
lently aroused  against  them.  One  Wang,  a  wealthy 
man  of  letters,  lodged  a  complaint  in  the  office  of 
the  magistrate  of  Phing-nan,  charging  that,  under 
pretext  of  worshiping  God,  the  followers  of  Siu- 
tshuen  were  desecrating  temples,  and   destroying 


140  TAI-PING-WANG. 

images.  Yun-san,  and  his  assistant  Lu-liuh,  having 
committed  some  overt  acts  in  the  district,  were  spe- 
cially proceeded  against ;  and,  as  the  magistrate 
was  well  plied  with  bribes  by  Wang,  they  were 
committed  to  prison. 

This  occurrence  filled  the  heart  of  Siu-tshuen 
with  grief ;  and  he  asked,  "  AVhat  can  be  the  design 
of  God  in  making  us  to  suffer  persecution  ?"  He 
did  not  know  that  the  blood  of  martyrs  is  the  seed 
of  the  church.  But  after  much  sorrowful  consider- 
ation of  the  matter,  he  determined  to  apply  for 
relief  directly  to  the  governor  of  the  two  Kwang 
provinces,  Kiying,  who  had  obtained  permission 
from  the  emperor  for  natives,  as  well  as  foreigners, 
to  profess  Christianity;  and,  for  this  purpose,  he  set 
off  for  Canton.  Before  going,  however,  he  gave 
expression  to  his  mingled  feelings  of  hope  and  sad- 
ness in  the  following  ode  : 

"  When  shall  I  meet  again  with  faithful  brethren, 
And  preach  the  word  along  the  ocean's  etrand  ? 
When  find  again  true  sympathy  aud  virtue, 
And  joyful  tones  mingle  without  restraint  ? 
Alas !  for  noble  courage  and  for  honest  hearts, 
With  whom  I  would  restore  to  peace  the  universe. 
Alas !  from  all  the  quarters  of  the  earth 
What  men  shall  stand  by  me  ? 
The  dragon  clouds  and  tiger  winds  assemble  ; 
When  shall  the  hour  of  congregation  come  ? 
The  heavenly  law  is  not  to  blame. 


HE  SUFFERS  PERSECUTION  AND  GOES  HOME.  141 

Has  God  no  more  compassion  ? 
Oh,  for  one  mind  from  first  to  last ! 
What  day  shall  we  triumphantly  ascend  V 

Meanwhile,  the  two  breakers  of  images  lay  in 
prison.  It  was  in  vain  that  the  brethren  collected 
several  hundred  strings  of  cash  for  their  liberation  ; 
for  Wang  had  a  still  longer  purse  than  they.  It  was 
to  still  less  purpose  that  they  laid  before  the  man- 
darin a  defense  of  their  doctrines,  together  with  a 
copy  of  the  ten  commandments  derived  from  the 
Old  Testament ;  for  his  worship  was  perfectly  indif- 
ferent to  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  gods ;  and 
believing  the  different  religious  sects  to  be  substan- 
tially the  same,  he  constantly  repeated  the  current 
saying  of,  *'  Sing-song,  all  the  same  pigeon." 

But,  at  length,  when  Yun-san  had  opened  upon 
him  a  battery  of  rhymes,  showing  in  a  succession  of 
petitions,  nicely  worded  and  measured,  first,  the 
malignancy  of  his  accuser,  second,  his  own  inno- 
cence, third,  the  plain  duty  of  all  men  to  worship 
God,  the  judge  began  to  think  he  had  better  get 
rid  of  the  prisoner  as  soon  as  possible  ;  and,  the 
indignation  of  Wang  and  his  purse  being  both  alike 
exhausted,  an  order  was  issued  for  the  release  of 
the  God-worshipers.  '"^ 

Poor   Lu-liuh  had   been  already  relieved  of  his  '^ 
chains  by  death ;  but  Yun-san  was  set  at  liberty, 


142  TAI-PING-WANO. 

with  the  charge,  that  he  should  forthwith  return  to 
the  place  of  his  birth.  This  he  was  to  do  under  the 
escort  of  two  policemen  ;  but  no  sooner  were  they 
on  the  road,  than  he  made  a  set-to  upon  his  attend- 
ants with  Christian  arguments ;  converted  them ; 
and  bore  them  off  as  trophies  to  Thistle-mount. 
Thereupon,  he  publicly  returned  thanks  to  God  ; 
and  his  followers,  after  having  offered  up  a  sacrifice 
of  horses  and  oxen,  made  a  great  feast  on  them. 

Siu-tshuen,  therefore,  might  well  have  spared 
himself  the  pains  of  going  to  Canton,  to  see  the 
governor ;  and  the  more  so,  as,  on  arriving  there,  he 
found  that  his  Excellency  had  just  left  for  Peking. 
But  he  had  the  opportunity  of  visiting  his  family  in 
Hwa-hien,  where  he  soon  learned  the  news  of  the 
release  of  Yun-san,  and  where,  after  a  time,  he  was 
made  happy  by  meeting  with  him. 

But  though  he  recovered  his  friend,  Siu-tshuen 
had  experienced  the  loss  of  his  father.  This  venerable 
man  had  died  in  his  son's  absence  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-three. He  had  not  lived  to  see  his  little  Phuh 
reach  the  steps  of  the  imperial  throne,  but  he  had 
beheld  him  grown  up  to  be  a  schoolmaster,  and,  at 
length,  the  founder  of  a  new  religion. '  The  old  man, 
therefore,  closed  his  eyes  in  peace,  having  had  a 
glimpse  of  his  favorite  son's  greatness,  as  Moses,  dy- 
ing, beheld  the  promised  land  from  afar.     He  also 


HE  SUFFERS  PERSECUTION  AND  GOES  HOME.   143 

departed  firm  in  the  new  faith,  though  it  had  been 
learned  in  his  old  age  ;  and,  calling  his  children  and 
his  grandchildren  around  his  bed,  said  :  "  I  am  now 
ascending  to  heaven  ;  after  my  decease  you  must 
not  call  any  Buddhist  priest,  nor  perform  any  heathen 
ceremonies,  but  merely  worship  God,  and  pray  to 
him." 

Siu-tshuen  mourned  sincerely  for  his  father ;  and 
when  his  friends,  pointing  to  his  hair  and  beard, 
which  had  been  allowed  for  some  time  to  grow  long, 
said  he  must  have  foreseen  the  death  which  had 
called  him  to  mourning,  he  did  not  undeceive  them. 
But  the  fact  was  that  he  had  secretly  resolved  no 
longer  to  shave  his  head,  as  for  the  space  of  two 
hundred  years  his  countrymen  had  been  compelled 
to  do.  in  token  of  submission  to  their  conquerors, 
the  Tartars* 


XXV. 

HE   PREACHES    IN    THE    FIELDS. 

Siu-TSHUEN  remained  at  home  nearly  a  year, 
mourning  for  his  father,  and  teaching  the  Christian 
doctrines,  as  he  had  opportunity.  Earlier  in  life, 
his  conversation  had  been  much  admired  by  his  as- 
sociates for  the  liveliness  of  its  wit;  now,  it  be- 
came remarked  for  the  earnestness  with  which  it 
exhorted  to  virtue,  and  the  severity  with  which  it 
reproved  vice.  He  spent  much  time  in  going  from 
house  to  house,  to  talk  with  his  friends  on  the  sub- 
ject of  religion,  always  walking  with  measured,  de- 
corous pace,  and  always  sitting,  it  was  observed, 
very  erect  in  his  chair,  never  leaning  on  one  side,  or 
backwards,  his  feet  never  crossed,  and  his  hands 
resting  on  his  knees.  In  this  posture  he  would 
remain  without  change  or  fatigue,  by  the  hour 
together.  Many  listeners,  meanwhile,  would  gather 
around,  and  hang  on  his  words  ;  for  he  spake  like  a 
man  inspired  of  God,  and  having  authority. 


HE    PREACHES    IN    THE    FIELDS.  145 

The  profligate,  therefore,  fled  from  his  presence  ; 
and  some  dared  not  even  remain  in  the  same  village 
with  him.  One  Mou,  who  had  been  appointed  in- 
spector of  grounds  by  the  different  villages,  but  who 
was  notorious  for  his  oppression  of  the  poor,  was 
actually  deposed  by  him.  For,  accusations  having 
been  brought  against  this  man  of  gross  misconduct, 
and  these  having  been  confirmed  by  uniform  testi- 
mony, Siu-tshuen  did  not  hesitate  to  sound  the  gong 
for  calling  the  heads  of  families  together,  and  then 
summon  Mou  to  give  an  account  of  himself  in  their 
presence.  This  the  guilty  inspector  did,  making 
humble  confession,  and  asking  forgiveness.  Where- 
upon, the  villagers,  moved  to  pity,  would  have 
continued  him  in  office,  but  Siu-tshuen  replied, 
"Yesterday  I  yielded  to  the  wishes  of  men;  but 
to-day,  I  follow  the  rule  of  Heaven."  Accord- 
ingly, the  evil-doer  was  deposed,  and  one  Kiang-a-si 
was  appointed  in  his  stead.  And  so  great  was  the 
moral  ascendancy  of  this  self-constituted  judge  of 
wrong-doing,  that  Mou  was  obliged  to  submit  to  his 
sentence,  and  send  the  usual  presents  of  honor  to 
the  man  by  whom  he  had  been  ignominiously  driven 
from  office.  J 

Siu-tshuen  even  went  further  in  his  assumption  "^ 
of  authority  for  the  suppression  of  vice  ;  and  caused 
to  be  distributed  among  the  heads  of  families  in  his 


146  TAI-PING-WANa. 

clan  five  wooden  rods  for  the  chastisement  of  wick- 
edness, each  one  having  inscribed  on  it  the  particular 
crime  it  was  to  be  used  for  punishing.  The  inscrip- 
tions were  these : 

"  1.  Beat  the  adulterers. 

2.  Beat  the  female  seducers. 

3.  Beat  the  disobedient  to  parents. 

4.  Beat  thieves,  robbers,  and  gamblers. 

5.  Beat  all  vagabonds  plotting  evil.-' 

Such  proceedings  as  these  plainly  show  that  Siu- 
tshuen  was  beginning  gradually  to  carry  out  into 
acts  the  conviction,  that  he  had  been  commissioned 
by  God  to  destroy  the  power  of  wickedness  and 
idolatry  in  the  world,  and  was  fast  preparing  him- 
self to  take  the  lead  not  only  of  a  militant  sect,  but 
of  an  armed  insurrection.  He  felt  strong  in  the 
goodness  of  his  cause,  and  more  and  more  confident 
of  the  support  of  Heaven. 

Indeed,  his  whole  soul  was  now  absorbed  in  the 
propagation  of  the  new  faith,  so  that  he  could  no 
longer  submit  to  the  petty  care  and  drudgery  of 
school-keeping.  The  friends  of  the  cause  of  God 
were  his  friends,  and  none  others.  They  who  wor- 
shiped idols  were  pronounced  as  senseless  as  the 
idols  themselves,  and  were  included  in  the  party 
of  the  demons  whom  he  had  been  authorized  to 
exterminate.     He  earnestly  called  upon  them  to  re- 


HE    PREACHES    IN    THE    FIELDS.  147 

pent  of  their  sins,  and  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come ; 
while  the  believers  in  God  and  in  Jesus  were  en- 
couraged not  only  to  expect  happiness  in  this  world, 
but  also  to  look  forward  to  a  paradise  of  delights 
beyond  the  grave.  Sometimes  these  vievw  were 
urged  with  great  gentleness  and  affection ;  and,  at 
others,  with  vehement  indignation  of  wrong,  and 
shame  at  the  degradation  of  the  people.  The  fol- 
lowing were  among  his  favorite  sayings : 

"  Brethren,  be  of  good  cheer,  God  has  the  rule  of  all ; 
With  faithfal  hearts,  and  deeds  in  proof,  you  rise  to  heaven's  hall." 

"  Those  who  live  in  God,  are  the  sons  and  daughters  of  God  ; 
Whencesoever  they  come,  they  come  from  heaven ; 
Wheresoever  they  go,  they  go  to  heaven." 

"  Those  who  worship  demons  are  the  slaves  of  demons : 
At  their  birth,  by  the  devil  led  astray; 
At  their  death,  by  him  carried  away." 

«  Too  much  patience  and  humility  do  not  suit  our  present  times ; 
Therewith  it  would  be  impossible  to  manage  this  perverted  genera- 
tion." 

Excursions  to  the  neighboring  villages  were  now 
frequently  made  by  Siu-tshuen  ;  and  also  to  the 
hill-country,  where,  when  a  young  man,  he  had 
spent  many  days  of  profitable  meditation.  Now,  he 
took  delight  in  calling  together  the  young  lads  who 
followed  their  herds  and  flocks  in  these  pastures, 
and  telling  them  of  the  true  God,  and  of  his  Son, 


148  TAI -PING- WANG. 

who  had  laid  down  his  life  for  their  salvation. 
Many  of  his  friends  and  followers,  also,  came  out  to 
the  hills  to  take  counsel  together,  and  listen  to  the 
field  sermons  of  their  prophet.  Greatly  cheered  ia 
heart  by  these  meetings,  Siu-tshuen  then  composed 
the  following  ode : 

"Heavenly  Father,  high  aod  supreme,  the  God  of  all  nationa, 
Who  sudtains  the  whole  bumaa  race  with  iDflnite  bounty ; 
In  six  days  thou  createdst  the  world  with  mountains  and  waters  ; 
Spcndest  thy  gifts  upon  men  to  enjoy  in  brotherly  union. 
Father,  thou  art  near  related  to  us  ;  thou  cxpellest  the  demons  ; 
Gavest  thy  holy  commands  to  instruct  an  ignorant  people. 
After  thou  Jesus  hadst  sent  to  give  his  life  as  a  ransom. 
Thou  didst  command  Siu-tshuen  to  proclaim  the  truth  of  this 
doctrine." 


XXVI. 

HE   GIRDS   ON  ^S   SWORD,    AND   RETURNS  TO   KWANG-SI. 

The  fullness  of  times  was  now  come;  and  contribu- 
tions of  money  having  been  sent  in  by  his  friends  in 
Clear-fur,  Siu-tshuen  girded  on  the  **  demon-exter- 
minating sword"  beneath  his  tunic,  and  set  off  on 
his  last  journey  to  the  province  of  Kwang-si. 

It  was  high  time  for  the  master  to  arrive ;  for  the 
house  of  the  God-worshipers  was  beginning  to  be 
rent  by  dissensions,  and  dishonored  by  excesses. 
Indeed,  Siu-tshuen,  on  his  arrival,  found  that  more 
than  one  of  the  five  wooden  rods  recently  in- 
troduced in  Hwa-hien,  might,  with  propriety,  be 
brought  into  play  on  the  backs  of  some  of  the  faith- 
ful. In  place  of  the  former  odors  of  incense-sticks, 
the  air  of  Thistle-mount  was  now  scented  with 
the  fumes  of  samshu,  tobacco,  and  opium.  Siu- 
tshuen,  therefore,  began  at  once  with  fulminating 
his  decrees  against  the  abuse  of  these  very  danger- 


150  TAI-5ING-WAN<i. 

_^U8  gifts  of  nature.     Upon  the  smoking  of  opium, 
he  made  the  following  stanza. 

"  The  opium  pipe  is  like  a  gun,  wherewith  you  wound  yourself. 
How  many  persons  are  stretched  by  it  dying  upon  their  pillows  ?" 

Rice  wine  he  denounced  the  use  of,  except  in 
moderation ;  and  though  he  had  himself  always 
been  able  to  stand  a  pretty  stiff  glass  of  it,  he  now 
reduced  his  daily  allowance  to  three  cups  of  the 
smallest  capacity.  The  excessive  use  of  tobacco 
also  was  spoken  against,  as  a  sin  against  Heaven. 

^  But  there  were  excesses  to  be  corrected  in  religi- 
ous fervor,  no  less  than  in  the  indulgence  of  cups 
and  pipes.  A  number  of  the  new  saints  had  con- 
tracted the  habit  of  falling  into  ecstasies.  It  often 
happened  during  the  offering  of  public  prayer,  that 
some  of  the  brethren  and  sisters  were  seized  with 
fits,  so  that  they  fell  to  the  ground,  and  their  bodies 
were  covered  with  perspiration.  And  when  the  fit 
was  strong  upon  them,  they  would  utter  strange 
words  of  prophecy  or  exhortation,  frequently  speak- 
ing in  enigmas  and  couplets.     Some,  also,  had  very 

\^^  singular  visions. 

r-  Among  these  subjects  of  ecstasy,  two  of  the 
brethren  attracted  special  attention  by  the  very  ex- 
traordinary nature  of  their  gifts.  They  were  Yang- 
Siu-tsing    and    Siau-Chau-kwei.       Siau    was    the 


HE    GIRDS    ON    HIS    SWORD,    ETC.  Idl 

gentler  of  the  two  spirits,  and,  when  moved  irresist- 
ibly so  to  do,  exhorted  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  But 
Tang,  whose  vanity  was  much  inflated  by  his  union 
with  the  congregation,  pretended  to  deliver  the 
commands  of  God,  the  Father.  Being,  besides, 
naturally  clever  with  his  tongue,  he  exhorted  under 
the  ecstatic  influence  with  such  prodigality  of 
breath,  that  he  lost  the  use  of  his  voice  for  a  couple 
of  months.  This  damaged  his  repute  somewhat ; 
but  on  his  recovery,  he  delivered  the  command- 
ments of  God  with  greater  fluency  than  ever,  and 
foretold  future  events.  Several  sick  members 
of  the  congregation  having  been  unexpectedly  re- 
stored to  health,  Yang  even  got  the  credit  of  having 
driven  out  the  evil  spirits ;  and  finally  so  far  won 
the  confidence  of  the  credulous,  that  he  ventured  to 
offer  to  redeem  any  patient  from  his  infirmity,  by 
suffering  the  pains  of  the  disease  in  his  own  person. 

Such  perversion  of  doctrines  and  gifts  called  for 
the  active  interference  of  Siu-tshuen,  who  im- 
mediately rebuked  the  false  spirits,  and  claimed  for 
himself  and  his  special  favorites  the  exclusive  privi- 
lege of  communicating  with  heaven. 

It  was  not  long  before  he  had  occasion  to  avail 
himself  of  this  monopoly  of  prophecy.  Foreseeing 
that  the  time  for  action  was  drawing  nigh,  and 
believing  that  the  year  of  eighteen  hundred  and 


162  TAI-PING-WANG. 

fifty  would  not  pass  without  the  occurrence  of 
serious  events  in  the  mountains,  he  determined  to 
send  for  his  family  in  Hwa-hien.  So  strong,  indeed, 
was  this  conviction  in  his  mind,  that  he  could  but 
regard  it  as  an  intimation  from  heaven ;  and  gave 
out,  accordingly,  that  he  had  been  warned  of  God 
in  the  following  revelation :  **  In  the  thirtieth  year 
of  Tau-kwang  (1850), will  I  send  down  calamities; 
those  of  you  who  remain  steadfast  in  faith  shall  be 
saved,  but  the  unbelievers  shall  be  visited  by  pesti- 
lence. After  the  eighth  month,  fields  will  be  left 
uncultivated,  and  houses  without  inhabitants ; 
therefore,  call  thou  thy  own  family  and  relatives 
hither." 

Siu-tshuen  did  as  he  was  bidden  ;  and  his  mother- 
in-law,  his  wife  and  children,  and  his  brothers,  with 
their  families,  all  obeying  the  call,  arrived  safely 
with  their  property  at  Thistle-mount. 

r  In  the  company  was  also  a  newly-born  son  of  the 
prophet,  the  sight  of  whom  filled  the  paternal  heart 

,  with  joy  greater  than  could  be  expressed.  And,  to 
add  to  the  father's  delight,  it  was  told  to  him  that 
the  birth  of  this  heir  of  prophecy  had  not  been  unat- 
tended with  prodigies  and  signs  of  sympathy  on  the 
part  of  nature.  When,  on  the  ninth  day  of  the 
tenth  month  of  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  forty- 
nine,  at  the  rising  of  the  sun,  the  male  child  was 


HE    GIRDS    ON    HIS    SWORD,    ETC.  153 

born,  a  large  flock  of  birds,  some  as  large  as  ravens, 
and  some  as  small  as  magpies,  hovered  about  the 
trees  in  the  vicinity  of  the  house  for  a  month  or 
more ;  whereat,  the  people  said  that  the  fowls  of 
the  air  had  come  to  do  homage  to  the  new-born  king 
and  prophet. 

Moreover,  Siu-tshuen's  own  prophecy  came  speedi-^ 
ly  to  pass.  In  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  fifty, 
died  the  Emperor  Tau-kwang ;  several  districts  in 
Kwang-si  were  visited  with  pestilential  diseases ; 
there  was,  in  many  localities,  a  scarcity  of  food ;  and 
wars  and  rumors  of  wars  between  the  mountainous 
tribes,  as  well  as  between  bands  of  banditti  and  the 
soldiers  of  the  government,  prevailed  at  the  com- 
mencement of  this  year  even  more  than  in  the  one 
which  had  preceded  it. 

Therefore,  the  God-worshipers,  remembering  the 
words  of  their  chief,  revered  him  as  the  confidant 
of  Heaven  ;  and  many  souls  were  added  to  the  con- 
gregation. 
7* 


XXVII. 

HE  FORETELLS  THE  INSURRECTION. 

This  year  was,  indeed,  destined  to  mark  an  era  in 
Chinese  annals,  and  to  introduce  a  series  of  events 
which  should  draw  the  attention  of  both  government 
and  people  to  the  mountains  of  Kwang-si. 

This  range  occupies  the  northern  and  northwest- 
ern parts  of  the  province,  separating  it  from  that  of 
Kwei-chau,  and  is  inhabited  mostly  by  aboriginal 
tribes,  who  have  never  been  subdued  by  the  Manchus. 
By  the  vulgar,  these  refractory  mountaineers  are  de- 
scribed as  "  wolf-men,'*  *'  dog-men,"  and  "  rats  of 
the  mountains;"  and  are  said  to  have  tails  like  mon- 
keys, and  to  cauterize  the  feet  of  their  children  in 
order  to  save  the  expense  of  shoes.  In  point  of  fact, 
they  are  a  semi-civilized  race,  called  Puntis,  who  so 
prize  the  freedom  of  their  mountains  that  the  impe- 
rial arms  have  never  succeeded  in  wrestina:  it  from 
them ;  but  who,  nevertheless,  maintain  a  kind  of 
truce  with  their  neighbors  of  the  lowlands,  buying 


HE  FORETELLS  THE  INSURRECTION.     166 

manufactures,  and  selling,  in  return,  a  great  variety 
of  beautiful  woods,  the  growth  of  their  mountains, 
and  large  quantities  of  cassia,  more  aromatic  than 
that  of  Ceylon.  They  live  in  huts  of  one  story, 
raised  on  piles,  and  stable  their  domestic  animals 
beneath  ;  go  clad  in  tunic  and  breeches,  frequently 
without  shoes ;  and,  disdaining  the  tonsure  of  the 
Tartars,  wear  their  long  hair  fastened  on  the  top  of 
their  heads  by  a  bodkin. 

But  while  these  independent  tribes  have  always 
succeeded  in  driving  back  from  their  strong-holds  the 
invading  armies  of  the  government,  they  have  not 
prevented  the  more  peaceful  encroachments  of  the 
squatter  clans,  who,  under  the  name  of  Hakkas,  now  ^ 
divide  with  them  the  possession  of  a  certain  number 
of  their  valleys.  Many  of  these  settlers  were  origin- 
ally robbers  and  outlaws,  who,  to  escape  the  pur- 
suit of  the  officers  of  justice,  fled  to  the  fastnesses 
of  the  mountains,  and  who,  keeping  up  their  preda- 
tory habits,  were  afterwards  involved  in  frequent 
petty  wars  with  the  imperial  soldiery,  as  well  as 
with  their  neighbors,  the  Puntis. 

In  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  forty-nine  there 
had  broken  out  such  a  contest  between  these  two 
classes  of  mountaineers,  in  the  Kwei  district ;  and 
the  Puntis  proving  victorious,  many  of  the  defeated 
Hakkai  fled  for  refuge  to  the  neighboring  God-wor- 


166  TAI-PING-WANG. 

shipers  of  Thistle-mount,  who  likewise  were  set- 
tlers by  origin,  though  of  a  better  character  than  the 
others.  Being  in  no  condition  to  make  their  own 
terms,  these  refugees  readily  consented  to  be  con- 
verted, in  return  for  protection,  and  the  necessary 
supplies  to  keep  them  from  starvation.  But  while 
they  swelled  the  numbers  of  the  congregation,  they 
also  exposed  it  to  the  ill-will  of  the  Puntis.  In  fact, 
some  petty  causes  of  quarrel  soon  sprang  up,  though 
the  consequences  were  not  immediately  serious,  in- 
asmuch as  the  combined  forces  of  the  Hakkas  and 
the  God-worshipers  were  too  strong  for  the  other 
party. 

Meanwhile,  the  local  magistrates,  intermeddling, 
manifested  a  disposition  to  encourage  the  Puntis  to 
come  to  blows  with  their  enemies.  At  the  same 
time,  they  recommenced  their  persecution  of  the 
image-breakers  ;  and  Wang,  the  graduate,  resuming 
the  fierceness  of  his  fanaticism,  caused  Wang-ugi  to 
be  again  thrown  into  prison,  where  he  died.  The 
search  for  robbers,  likewise,  who  had  been  driven 
into  the  mountains  by  the  soldiery,  was  made  the 
pretext  for  no  little  annoyance  and  injury  to  the 
different  branches  of  the  congregation. 

Thus,  what  Siu-tshuen  had  anticipated  was  about 
to  come  to  pass.  A  collision  between  his  followers 
and  the  magistrates  could  not  be  far  off;  and,  with 


HE  FORETELLS  THE  INSURRECTION.     157 

this  conviction  weighing  upon  his  mind,  he  composed 
the  following  ode : 

"  When,  in  the  present  time,  disturbances  abound, 
And  bands  of  robbers  are,  like  gathering  vapors,  found, 
We  know  that  Heaven  means  to  raise  a  valiant  hand 
To  rescue  the  oppressed,  and  save  our  native  land. 
China  was  once  subdued,  but  it  shall  no  more  fall ; 
God  ought  to  be  adored,  and  ultimately  will  be. 
The  founder  of  the  Ming  in  song  disclosed  his  mind ; 
The  Emperor  of  Han  drank  to  the  furious  wind. 
From  olden  times,  all  deeds  by  energy  were  done  ; 
Dark  vapors  disappear  on  rising  of  the  sun." 


XXVIII. 

HE  UNFURLS  THE  STANDARD  OF  REVOLT. 

While  Siu-tshuen,  accompanied  by  Yun-San,  was 
going  the  rounds  of  the  villages  wherein  resided  his 
disciples,  exhorting  them  to  make  sale  of  their 
property,  so  far  as  they  could,  and  hold  themselves 
in  readiness  to  assemble  at  his  call  in  Thistle-mount, 
both  he  and  his  companion  came  near  being  arrested 
by  the  mandarins.  These  had  resolved  to  proceed 
against  the  two  preachers  as  the  head  of  a  secret 
society,  hostile  to  the  government ;  but  the  fact 
coming  to  the  ears  of  Yang-Siu-tshin,  he  sent  a 
party  of  friends  to  apprise  the  chief  of  his  danger, 

^  and  escort  him  back  to  Thistle-mount. 

r  No  sooner  had  the  latter  returned  than  he  sent 
word  to  all  his  followers  to  gather  around  him  ;  for 
he  knew  the  time  of  simple  preaching  had  gone  by, 
and  that  had  arrived  for  inculcating  his  doctrines  at 
the  head  of  an  armed  force.  The  persecutions  ex- 
perienced, and  threatened  by  the  mandarins,  having 


HE    UNFURLS    THE    STANDARD    OF    REVOLT.      159 

the  Puntis  as  aiders,  if  not  as  allies,  was  his  justifi- 
cation in  taking  this  step.  He  saw  that  he  must 
either  submit  to  see  the  congregation  scattered,  or 
take  the  sword,  and  commence  a  holy  war  against 
the  idolaters.  This  was  what  he  had  long  secretly 
purposed  to  do ;  so  that  he  was  not  taken  by  surprise 
by  the  movement  of  the  mandarins,  but  was  ready 
for  action.  ; 

The  God-worshipers  obeyed  the  vorce  of  their  '^ 
prophet.  They  immediately  assembled  at  Thistle- 
mount,  bringing  with  them  their  cattle,  their  pro- 
visions, their  money,  and  every  kind  of  movable 
property,  and,  for  arms,  such  agricultural  imple- 
ments, and  other  weapons,  as  they  could  lay  their 
bands  on.  Among  those  who  came  at  the  call,  were 
a  number  of  graduates,  and  heads  of  clans,  one  of 
whom,  by  the  name  of  Wei-ching,  brought  in  no 
less  than  a  thousand  retainers.  All  gave  in  their 
individual  property  to  the  public  treasury,  to  be  used 
for  the  daily  maintenance  of  the  members  of  the 
congregation,  each  sharing  alike.  -^ 

When  a  sufficient  force  had  been  collected  to-  "^ 
gether,  Siu-tshuen  gave  orders  for  it  to  move  on  to 
the  nearest  market-town,  which  was  that  inhabited 
by  Wang,  the  persecutor,  and  where,  no  opposition 
being  made,  the  immediate  wants  of  the  poor 
Hakkas,  who,  in  large  numbers,   had  joined  the 


160  TAI-PING-WANG. 

congregation,  were  supplied  out  of  the  well-filled 
clothing  and  provision-shops. 

Siu-tshuen's  first  care  now  was  to  organize  the 
motley  multitude  which  his  orders  had  brought 
together,  and  which  consisted  of  both  rich  and  poor, 
young  and  old,  male  and  female  ;  of  Hakkas,  some 
of  whom  had  not  been  much  better  than  outlaws  ; 
and  of  God-worshipers,  most  of  whom  were  sincere 
converts  to  the  new  faith,  and  fanatically  opposed 
to  the  worship  of  idols ;  in  all,  about  seven  thousand 
souls. 

To  this  end,  he  directed  that  the  two  sexes 
should  have  no  intercourse  with  each  other,  but  be 
kept  under  the  separate  control  of  officers,  male  and 
female.  The  principal  places  of  trust  he  assigned 
to  those  of  his  associates,  who  had  exhibited  the 
most  talent,  and  who  had  attained  the  greatest  in- 
fluence in  the  congregation — especially  Fun-Yun- 
San,  Yang-Siu-tshin,  and  Siau-chau-kwei.  A  com- 
plete military  organization  was  established  ;  strict 
discipline  was  enjoined  ;  public  prayers  were  held 
morning  and  evening  ;  and  exhortations  to  faith  and 
good  behavior  were  daily  delivered  by  the  chiefs, 
and  others  thereto  appointed.* 

In  perfecting  and  carrying  out  these  indispensable 

•  Note  C,  Appendix. 


HE    UNFURLS    THE    STANDARD    OF    REVOLT.     161 

arrangements,  several  months  were  spent ;  the  body 
of  the  forces  moving  from  one  market- town  to 
another  in  the  hill  country,  as  might  be  most  con- 
venient for  the  obtaining  of  supplies,  and  no  attack 
being  made  upon  them  by  the  few  troops  got  to- 
gether for  that  purpose  by  the  mandarins. 


XXIX. 

HE   IS    OPPOSED    BY    TUE    GENERALS    OF    HIEN-FUNG. 

The  thirty  years  of  experience  of  the  emperor 
Tau-kwang  in  the  conduct  of  affairs  was  now  very 
inoportunely  exchanged  for  the  incapacity  of  the 
youthful  Hien-fung,  who,  on  coming  to  the  throne 
of  the  celestials,  found  that,  instead  of  giving  him- 
self up  to  the  enjoyment  of  his  imperial  paradise 
in  Peking,  he  had  to  turn  his  attention  to  an  obstinate 
rebellion  in  the  province  of  Kwang-si. 

Unfortunately,  he  had  in  Siu,  the  viceroy  of  the 
two  Kwang  provinces,  a  servant  to  guard  the  in- 
terests, and  execute  the  purposes  of  the  throne, 
whose  irresolution  was  surpassed  only  by  his  cowar- 
dice. Accordingly,  when  this  worthy  heard  of  the 
occupation  of  the  market-towns  by  the  revolters, 
and  especially  when  he  learned  that  the  Puntis 
had  finally  rallied  to  their  side  in  preference 
to  that  of  their  old  enemies,  the  magistrates,  he  lost 
no  time,  not  in  dispatching  troops  into  the  disaffect- 


HE    IS    OPPOSED   BY   HlEN-FUNG.  168 

ed  districts,  but  in  sending  in  to  the  government  a 
humble  petition,  soliciting  the  honor  of  being  allow- 
ed to  make  a  pilgrimage  to  the  tomb  of  the  lately 
deceased  emperor.  This  pious  request  not  being 
granted,  however,  Siu  was  obliged  to  face  the  re- 
bellion. .  J 

This  soon  became  really  alarming  ;  for  Siu-tshuen, 
finding  his  standards  thronged  by  the  hardy  braves 
of  the  mountains,  moved  from  the  districts  of  Kwei,  ^ 
Yung-fuh,  and  Yung-an,  which  he  had  been  occupy- 
ing ;  and  laying  a  number  of  towns  and  villages  on 
his  route  under  contribution,  took  possession  of  the 
district  cities  of  Wu-siuen,  and  Kwei-ping,  on  the 
Pearl  river.  This  position  was  a  very  important 
one  ;  for  it  enabled  him  to  control  the  trade  of  the 
interior  of  the  province  with  the  city  of  Canton, 
and  lay  a  tax  on  all  merchandise  passing  to  and 
from  that  port.  J 

The  gradual,  and  almost  entirely  unopposed  ad- 
vance of  the  insurgents  from  the  mountains  to  the 
southern  parts  of  the  province,  and  even  to  the 
frontiers  of  Kwang-tung,  greatly  terrified  the  good 
people  of  Canton.  Accordingly,  the  authorities 
fearing  to  be  taken  by  surprise,  set  diligently  about 
mustering  and  drilling  soldiers,  making  new  and 
stronger  gateways,  establishing  night  patrols,  and 
covering  their  house-tops  with  buckets  of  water.    A 


164  T  AI-PING-WANG. 

body  of  about  five  thousand  men  was  got  ready  to 
take  the  field  ;  and  a  considerable  number  of  boats 
were  put  in  readiness,  though  the  crews  showed  no 
little  reluctance  towards  moving  westward. 

Meanwhile,  Siu,  the  viceroy,  and  Yeh,  governor 
of  the  province  of  Kwang-tung,  who  was  an  assist- 
ant in  every  way  worthy  of  his  principal,  exhibited 
great  activity  in  drawing  up,  and  forwarding  to 
Peking,  a  statement  of  what  was  shortly  to  be  done. 
"  They  were,"  the  government  was  informed,  "  on 
no  account  to  adhere  to  any  preconceived  notions, 
which  might  induce  them  to  shun  danger,  or  to  be 
over-sparing  of  expense  ;  nor  were  they  to  be  misled 
by  idle  rumors  ;  nor  to  color,  be  it  ever  so  little,  the 
facts  which  they  might  witness,  and  so  leave  uneradi- 
cated  the  root  of  future  evil."  At  the  same  time, 
an  "affectionate  proclamation"  was  issued  by  these 
two  officials  to  **  the  thieves,  robbers,  and  riffraff 
generally,"  of  Kwang-si,  inviting  them  "  to  wash 
their  hearts,  and  flay  their  faces,  to  show  respectful 
obedience  to  the  laws,  and  pursue  their  avocations 
in  peace." 

When,  after  these  preliminary  flourishes  of  words, 
governor  Yeh  finally  took  up  his  line  of  march  for 
the  seat  of  insurrection,  he  displayed  much  pru- 
dence in  not  approaching  too  near  the  enemy. 
Remaining  himself  with  the  main  body  of  his  troops 


HE    IS    OPPOSED    BY    HIEN-FUNG.  165 

in  a  place  of  safety,  he  preferred  to  scour  the 
country,  by  sending  out  his  lieutenants  with  small 
detachments.  But  this  course  just  suited  the  tac- 
tics of  the  insurgents,  which  were  invariably  of  one 
and  the  same  character.  Whenever  the  enemy  ad- 
vanced, they  pretended  to  take  flight ;  but  it  was 
only  to  allure  the  former  into  ambuscades,  where 
they  were  pitilessly  slaughtered.  This  manoeuvre 
always  succeeded  against  a  foe  with  whom  experi- 
ence went  for  nothing  ;  and  it  was  by  a  feint  of  this 
sort  that  a  large  body  of  Yeh's  troops  was  cut  to 
pieces  in  a  defile  between  Tsing-yuen  and  Ting-teh. 
The  only  success,  in  fact,  that  the  imperial  general 
had  to  boast  of  during  the  campaign  was  a  small 
affair  in  the  Black  Stone  country,  where  he  repre- 
sented the  insurgents  to  have  been  driven  back 
through  the  hills  with  loss  of  guns  and  prisoners, 
and  "  with  thundering  clamor." 

Thereupon  the  emperor,  seeing  that  "  the  thieves" 
were  not  straightway  exterminated  according  to  his 
orders,  resolved  to  adopt  additional  measures  for 
accomplishing  his  purpose.  A  member  of  the  im- 
penal  family,  together  with  a  suite  of  high  officers 
of  state,  was  sent  to  offer  prayers  in  the  temples, 
and  to  sacrifice  to  the  "  red-coated  cannon,"  and 
not  to  rely  entirely  upon  the  gods  for  aid.  His 
majesty  further  determined  to  send  a  special  com- 


166  TAI-PING-WANG. 

missioner  to  Kwang-si  to  strengthen  the  hands  of 
his  servants,  Siu  and  Yeh. 

The  person  selected  for  this  important  trust  was 
no  less  a  magnate  than  Lin,  the  famous  mandarin 
who  had  destroyed  the  twenty  thousand  chests  of 
opium,  and  brought  on  the  war  with  England. 
This  veteran  was  then  living  in  retirement  in  the 
charming  environs  of  Su-chau,  where  he  was  spend- 
ing the  last  of  his  days  in  doting  over  such  few 
flowers  of  pleasure  as  his  trembling  hands  could 
pluck  from  the  brink  of  his  grave. 

But  on  receiving  the  commands  of  his  young 
master,  he  gathered  his  remaining  strength  together, 
and  set  off  for  the  seat  of  hostilities.  Arrived  there, 
he,  also,  distinguished  himself  by  writing  proclama- 
tions to  the  insurgents,  and  reports  to  the  govern- 
ment at  Peking  ;  and  to  such  a  degree  as  to  win  the 
title  of  "  Guardian  of  the  heir  apparent,"  and  to 
receive  the  most  gracious  permission  of  his  Majesty 
to  wear  a  single-eyed  peacock's  feather  in  his  cap. 
But,  unfortunately,  the  impotency  of  age  would 
allow  him  to  do  no  more.  He  promised  to  **  sweep 
the  frontiers  of  their  malaria'' — and  then  died.  Yet, 
so  impressed  was  the  monarch  with  the  importance 
of  these  services  rendered,  that  he  not  only  confer- 
red upon  him  the  posthumous  honor  of  the  title  of 
"  Great  tutor  of  the  heir  apparent,"  but  ordered  that 


HE    IS    OPPOSED   BY   HIEN-FUNG.  167 

all  degradations  from  rank,  which  had  been  incurred 
in  the  course  of  his  official  life,  should  be  canceled, 
and  such  further  distinctions  be  bestowed  on  him 
"  as  by  statute  he  was  entitled  to." 

As  he  had  not  fought  the  insurgents,  so  they  had 
not  fought  him  ;  but  they  made  to  his  proclamation 
a  reply,  which  constituted  the  first  political  act  of 
their  leader,  and  which  plainly  set  forth  the  grounds 
on  which  they  relied  for  justification  in  having 
taken  up  arms  against  the  Tartars.  It  was  as  fol- 
lows: 

»*  Thfi  Manchus,  who,  for  two  centuries,  have  been 
the  hereditary  occupants  of  the  throne  of  China,  were 
originally  members  of  a  small  foreign  tribe.  With 
the  aid  of  a  powerful  army,  they  took  possession  "Df 
our  treasure,  our  lands,  and  the  government  of  our 
country,  proving  that  superior  strength  is  all  that  is 
required  for  the  usurpation  of  an  empire.  There  is, 
therefore,  no  difference  between  us,  who  levy  con- 
tributions on  the  villages  we  have  taken,  and  the 
officials  sent  from  Peking  to  collect  the  taxes. 
Taking  and  keeping  are  both  fair  alike.  Why,  then, 
without  any  motive,  are  troops  marched  against  us? 
This  appears  to  us  very  unjust.  How!  have  the 
Manchus,  who  are  foreigners,  a  right  to  collect  the 
revenues  of  eighteen  provinces,  and  to  appoint  the 
officers  who  oppress  the  people  ;  while  we,  who  are 


168  TAI-PING-WANG. 

Chinese,  are  forbidden  to  take  a  little  money  from 
the  public  stock?  Universal  sovereignty  does  not 
belong  to  any  individual  to  the  exclusion  of  all  the 
rest ;  and  no  one  ever  saw  a  dynasty  which  could 
count  a  hundred  generations  of  emperors.  Posses- 
sion— and  possession  only — gives  a  right  to  govern." 
Thus,  the  words  of  the  insurgents  corresponded 
with  their  deeds.  Both  were  serious ;  they  aimed 
at  empire ;  and  the  first  year  of  the  reign  of 
Hien-fung  went  down  with  a  cloud  on  the  horizon, 
which,  increasing  from  the  size  of  a  man's  hand, 
soon  gathered  sufficient  blackness  to  darken  the 
whole  heavens. 


XXX. 

HE   CLAIMS   TO   BE   INSPIRED  AND   AIDED    BY   HEAVEN. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year  eighteen  hundred 
and  fifty-one,  a  large  number  of  the  southern  depart- 
ments of  the  province  of  Kwang-si  being  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  insurgents,  and  Sin-chau-fu  being  their 
headquarters,  Siu-tshuen  assumed  the  name  of  Tien- 
teh,  or  Celestial  Virtue. 

At  the  same  time,  he  surrounded  himself  with 
more  forms  and  ceremonies,  as  befitting  his  position 
at  the  head  of  a  large  and  victorious  body  of  follow- 
ers. He  also  supplied  himself  with  a  stud  of  man- 
darins* horses ;  added  an  extra  barber  to  his  estab- 
lishment, to  clean  his  ears  and  tickle  his  eye-lids; 
doubled  hirf  daily  allowance  of  rice-wine ;  and,  in 
accordance  with  the  Chinese  notion,  that  a  man  is 
entitled  to  take  as  many  wives  as  he  can  support, 
set  up  a  small  harem. 

His  headquarters  being  thronged  not  only  by  his 

own  superior  officers,  but  also  by  chieftains  of  the 
8 


170  TAI-P1\G-WANG. 

Miautsz',  and  by  captains  of  numerous  bands  of  vo- 
lunteers, who  joined,  from  time  to  time,  the  main 
body  of  the  insurgents,  assumed  the  appearance  of  a 
princely  court,  and  was  gay  with  red  buttons  and 
blue,  with  sedan-chairs  and  caparisoned  horses,  with 
banners  of  all  colors,  and  of  strange  devices.  His 
warriors  were  both  male  and  female,  scarcely  a 
month  passing,  in  the  latter  half  of  the  first  cam- 
paign, that  some  valiant  chief,  in  petticoats,  did  not 
come,  with  a  retinue  of  several  hundred  Amazons,  to 
offer  their  hearts  to  be  converted,  and  their  arms  to 
be  placed  at  the  service  of  the  God-worshipers. 

The  camp  was  full  of  all  sorts  of  arms,  match- 
locks, spears,  bows  and  arrows,  wall- pieces,  and 
small  artillery.  Every  man  had  his  lantern.  The 
swords,  indeed,  were,  for  the  most  part,  rusty ;  the 
few  cannon  were  honey-combed  ;  the  powder  was 
not  always  of  the  strongest ;  and  the  rockets  could 
be  relied  upon  only  to  make  a  noise. 

But  noise,  and  a  show  of  fight  were  generally  all 
that  w^as  necessary  to  put  to  flight  the  arrant  cow- 
ards who  trembled  at  the  sight  of  the  hair-pins  of 
the  Miautsz'  as  if  they  had  been  the  horns  of  demons, 
and  one-half  of  whom  believed  that  these  sons  of  the 
mountains  pursued  them  with  cauterized  feet,  and 
tails  in  their  breeches.  Much  as  ever  was  it  that 
they  stood  their  ground  long  enough  to  discharge 


INSPIRED    AND    AIDED    BY    HEAVEN.  171 

their  fire-arms  once  at  the  distant  enemy  ;  but,  after 
that,  all  order  was  invariably  at  an  end  ;  every  man 
did  as  he  liked,  and,  at  last,  the  greater  part  gene- 
rally threw  away  their  military  jackets,  and  were 
never  heard  of  afterwards.  Receiving  not  more  than 
five  pence  and  a  pittance  of  rice  a  day,  they  had 
not  the  stomach  to  contend  with  men  whose  camp 
was  full  of  pigs  and  oxen,  if  not  of  sam-shu  and  to- 
bacco. Often,  they  would  stand  out  on  the  eve  of 
battle  for  the  p^y  which  was  in  arrears ;  and  when 
they  had  been  bribed  to  fight  by  money  actually  put 
into  pocket,  they  not  unfrequently  made  up  their 
minds  that  it  was  a  capital  time  to  desert. 

Nor  Were  such  soldiers  unworthily  led.  When 
General  Ke-shu  was  sent  by  the  emperor  to  re-take 
Tinghae,  he  was  directed  to  "  send  the  heads  of  the 
rebellious  barbarians  to  Peking  in  baskets."  But 
instead  of  the  heads,  Ke-shu  sent  back  a  humble 
memorial,  stating  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  '*  de- 
stroy and  wipe  clean  away"  the  rebels,  and  request- 
ing to  be  duly  punished  therefor.  Of  such  memo- 
rials there  were,  during  the  war,  great  numbers  for- 
warded to  Peking ;  and  the  prayer  of  the  supplicant 
being  generally  granted,  there  would  have  been  al- 
most as  many  officers  **  banished  beyond  the  wall" 
as  there  were  at  service  within  it,  had  not  the  royal 
order  dismissing  the  petitioners  from  office  almost 


172  TAl-PING-WANG., 

always  terminated  with  the  formula,  *'  Yet,  to  con- 
tinue his  heavy  responsibility,  let  him  still  remain 
in  the  administration  of  his  functions." 

There  were,  indeed,  exceptional  cases  of  courage. 
Now  and  then  a  defeated  mandarin  would  bravely 
rip  open  his  own  belly,  preferring  not  to  outlive  the 
favor  of  his  prince,  and  be  set,  stripped  of  button 
and  peacock's  feather,  to  clean  pipes,  or  wait  at  doors. 
But,  generally,  the  valor  of  the  imperial  officers  was 
of  the  same  calibre  with  that  of  Governor  Yeh,  who, 
when  he  had  come  within  twenty-four  hours'  march 
of  the  headquarters  of  the  insurgent  chief,  sent  him 
a  letter,  informing  him  that  he  had  arrived  in  his 
neighborliood,  and  that,  after  resting  his  soldiers  a 
few  days,  he  should  advance  to  annihilate  him  ;  and 
who,  when  he  received  the  chief's  reply,  saying  that 
he  cared  no  more  for  his  threats  than  "for  the  hairs 
in  his  cap,"  broke  up  his  camp  in  haste  the  same 
day,  and  made  his  escape,  wMth  the  loss  of  several 
heavy  guns,  and  a  considerable  number  of  jackets. 

No  little  of  this  superiority  of  the  insurgents  was 
owing  to  their  discipline.*  Whenever  they  w^ent 
into  battle,  their  officers,  who  never  led,  but  always 
followed  them,  had  strict  orders  to  cut  down  all  who 
either  should  attempt  to  fly  from  their  ranks,  or 

•  Note  D,  Appendix. 


INSPIRED    AND    AIDED    BY    HEAVEN.  173 

should  fail  to  advance  against  the  enemy  on  the  sig- 
nals being  given  by  the  gongs.  Death  was  thus 
more  to  be  dreaded  from  behind  than  from  before. 
All  straggling  from  the  main  body,  likewise,  and 
plundering  of  the  peaceable  inhabitants  of  the  dis- 
tricts passed  through  by  the  army,  were  forbidden  on 
pain  of  death.  Nor  for  such  excesses  was  there  any 
excuse,  inasmuch  as  ther  heavy  contributions  laid 
upon  the  commerce  of  the  canals  and  rivers,  and  the 
confiscation  of  the  large  public  granaries  and  well- 
filled  pawnbrokers'  establishments  in  the  market- 
towns  and  cities,  kept  the  army  abundantly  supplied 
with  both  food  and  clothing.  When  there  was  any 
lack,  all  that  was  necessary  to  be  done  was  to  change 
the  camp  to  a  district,  the  resources  of  which  were 
untouched. 

Occasionally,  violations  of  the  rules  of  discipline 
would  occur,  as  the  strings  of  offenders'  heads  hung 
at  the  corners  of  the  streets  testified ;  but  generally, 
the  stories  of  districts  ravaged,  villages  fired,  cities 
plundered,  and  men,  women,  and  children  put  to 
the  sword,  of  which  so  many  were  told  in  the 
Pekhg  Gazette^  were  either  fabrications,  or  gross 
exaggerations,  or  else,  true  narratives  of  what  had 
been  done  by  the  imperialists  themselves,  and  then 
charged  upon  their  enemies.  The  invariable  rule 
of  the  insurgents  was  to  treat  well  all  who  met 


174  TAI-PING-WANG. 

them  with  offers  of  aid  or  allegiance ;  to  seize  upon 
the  public  store-houses  and  shops  of  the  rich  mer- 
chants in  preference  to  the  savings  of  the  poorer 
classes ;  and  to  take  the  lives  of  the  conquered  only 
when  they  had  made  unusual  resistance,  or  when 
an  example  of  severity  was  deemed  necessary  to 
terrify  others  into  submission.* 

To  maintain  so  much  discipline,  however,  in  such 
a  horde  of  fanatics,  it  was  necessary,  not  only  to  sus- 
pend a  sword  over  every  soldier's  head,  but  also  to 
station  a  sentinel  over  his  faith.  He  was  made  to 
believe  that  his  chief  was  the  favorite  of  heaven,  and 
its  vicegerent ;  that  he  was  in  constant  communica- 
tion with  it ;  that  his  orders  were  divine  commands; 
that  his  will  was  fate. 

The  chief,  himself,  had  gradually  come  to  entertain 
the  belief  that  he  was  commissioned  by  the  Heavenly 
Father  to  deliver  the  land  from  idolatry;  and,  on 
finding  himself  at  the  head  of  a  large  army,  this 
doctrine  became  an  indispensable  instrument  of  suc- 
cess. What  Siu-tshuen  had  believed  sincerely,  Tien- 
teh  proclaimed  from  necessity.  He  gave  out  that 
the  orders  issued  to  the  army  were  received  from 
above,  and  consented  that  his  chief  officers  should 
be  considered  as  sharers  with  him  in  the  divine  in- 

Note  E,  Appendix. 


INSPIRED    AND    AIDED    BY    HEAVEN.  175 

spiration.  Of  the  heaven-derived  proclamations, 
made  from  time  to  time  to  the  army,  in  order  to 
animate  their  courage,  and  confirm  their  good  be- 
havior, the  following  is  a  specimen  : 

"  On  the  14th  day  of  the  3rd  moon  (19th  April)  of 
the  Sin-k'ae  year,  (1S51),  in  the  village  of  Tung- 
heang,  the  Heavenly  Father  addressed  the  multitude, 
saying,  *  Oh !  my  children,  do  you  know  your  Hea- 
venly Father,  and  your  Celestial  Elder  Brother 
(Jesus)  V 

**  To  which  they  all  replied,  *  We  know  our  Hea- 
venly Father,  and  our  Celestial  Elder  Brother ! ' 

"  The  Heavenly  Father  then  said,  *  Do  you  know 
yoor  lord  (Tien-teh),  and  truly.' 

**  To  which  they  all  replied,  *  We  know  our  lord 
right  well.* 

"  The  Heavenly  Father,  thereupon  said,  *  I  have 
sent  your  lord  down  into  the  world,  to  become  the 
celestial  king ;  every  word  he  utters  is  a  celestial 
command;  you  must  be  obedient ;  you  must  truly 
assist  your  lord,  and  regard  your  king ;  you  must 
not  dare  to  act  disorderly,  nor  to  be  disrespectful. 
If  you  do  not  regard  your  lord  and  king,  every  one 
of  you  will  be  involved  in  difficulty.'  " 


XXXI. 

THE    EXPLOITS    OF    THE    VICEROY,    SIU-KWANG-T8IN. 

The  career  of  the  imperial  commissioner  sent  to 
Kwang-si  in  the  second  campaign,  was  no  longer 
than  that  of  the  one  who  had  figured  in  the  first. 
Li-Sing-yuen,  the  successor  of  Lin,  began  with  tak- 
ing upon  himself  the  responsibility  of  not  sending 
to  Peking,  Ching-Tsu-shin,  the  unsuccessful  govern- 
or of  Kwang-si,  as  ordered,  on  the  plea  that,  in 
dismissing  him  from  office,  it  could  not  have  been 
the  intention  of  the  government  to  dispense  with 
his  services;  then  retired  from  the  country  south  of 
the  West  river,  leaving  the  enemy  in  possession  of 
the  departments  of  Sin-chau,  Yuh-lin  and  Nan-ning; 
and  finally,  overwhelmed  with  chagrin  at  his  ina- 
bility to  exterminate  the  rebels,  followed  his  prede- 
cessor to  the  land  of  Jen-lo-wang.  He  had  accom- 
plished absolutely  nothing  during  these  few  months, 
but  was,  nevertheless,  so  lamented  by  the  emperor, 
that  the  latter  is  said  to  have  shed  tears  on  hearing 


THE    EXPLOITS    OF    SIU-KWANG-TSIN.  177 

of  his  death,  and  to  have  sent  five  hundred  taels  of 
silver,  and  ten  ounces  of  ginseng,  by  way  of  consola- 
tion, to  his  mother. 

Governor  Yeh  still  lived  ;  but  to  no  purpose.  As 
his  name  imports,  he  proved  himself  to  be  only  a 
"leaf,"  trembling  in  every  wind  that  blew;  and, 
after  having  succeeded  in  intrenching  himself  in 
Ying-teh,  at  a  safe  distance^  from  the  enemy,  did 
nothing  but  write  manifestoes  to  his  troops,  and 
memorials  to  his  master.  His  pusillanimity  excited 
the  laughter  of  the  whole  city  of  Canton. 

Another  prominent  actor,  who  now  appeared  on 
the  scene  of  affairs,  was  Major-general  Wurantai,  a 
famous  Tartar,  and  **  futu-tung"  of  the  Canton  ban- 
nermen.  Reported  to  be  a  man  of  extraordinary 
pluck,  he  was  ordered  to  the  town  of  Wu-siuen,  on 
the  Pearl  River,  for  the  purpose  of  checking  the 
progress  of  the  rebels  northward.  With  a  force  of 
100  wall-pieces,  200  match-locks,  200  long  spears, 
120  iron  rockets,  2,000  paper-rockets,  and  a  grand 
scheme  for  reducing  the  insurgents  by  starvation, 
he  set  off  for  his  destination.  But  he  had  not  been 
a  month  in  the  field  before  he  obtained  a  victory 
over  a  small  body  of  the  enemy,  which  had  **a 
slight  blemish  on  it,"  in  consequence  of  which  he 
felt  obliged  to  send  in  to  the  emperor  an  humble 
petition   to   be  punished.      This  prayer,  however. 


178  TAI-PING-WANG.       • 

was  graciously  denied,  though  all  the  other  officers, 
who  had  "  lost  their  chance"  in  the  affair,  were 
ordered  to  be  cashiered.  But  afterwards,  in  en- 
deavoring to  redeem  his  reputation,  the  unfortunate 
"futu-tung"  received  a  shot  in  the  knee  which  not 
only  compelled  him  to  leave  his  post,  but  very 
soon  sent  him  hobbling  on  the  road  to  Jen-lo- 
wang. 

But  of  all  those  appointed  to  blow  the  imperial 
trumpets  in  Kwang-si,  it  was  the  viceroy,  Siu, 
wliose  blast  was  both  tlie  longest  and  the  loudest. 
Since  the  commencement  of  the  war,  he  had  passed 
several  times  between  Canton  and  the  capital  of 
Kwang-si,  though  generally  showing  a  marked  pre- 
ference for  the  former  place.  Whenever  he  did  set 
out  for  the  seat  of  hostilities,  it  was  always  with 
replenished  coffers,  and  at  the  head  of  a  fresli  levy 
of  troops.  He  then  was  borne  through  the  streets 
in  his  gilt  sedan-chair  with  great  ado.  A  banner 
was  carried  in  advance,  with  the  inscription,  in  large 
characters,  "Fall  into  order,  and  keep  silence;  this 
is  the  Imperial  Commissioner."  Two  tam-tams  made 
the  requisite  noise.  Whereat  the  trades-people  took 
modest  refuge  in  their  shops  ;  the  beggars  hid  them- 
selves in  the  gutters  ;  the  bearers  of  sedans  let  down 
their  loads;  and  the  foot  passengers  respectfully 
backed  the  walls  of  the  houses.     Thus,  the  great 


THE    EXPLOITS    OF    SIU-KWANG-TSIN.  179 

mandarin,  appointed  to  **  wipe  clean  away"  the 
Kwang-si  *'  pirates,''  passed  through  the  streets  of 
the  city.  His  troops  followed  pell-mell  after  him. 
At  the  time  of  his  leaving  in  the  month  of  July, 
there  were  3,000  of  them,  besides  a  throng  of  in- 
ferior mandarins,  servants,  executioners,  musicians, 
flag-bearers,  and  a  certain  number  of  females  in  cur- 
tained sedans.  A  good  supply  of  piasters,  also,  there 
always  was,  borne  on  men's  backs  in  sacks  and  cof- 
fers ;  for  the  viceroy  relied  much  more  on  his  silver 
than  his  lead  in  reducing  the  enemy,  and  boasted 
that,  only  give  him  ingots  enough,  and  he  would 
take  half  the  towns  in  the  hands  of  the  insurgents 
without  firing  a  shot.* 

But  it  was  a  bad  omen  that,  before  getting  out  of 
town,  Siu  should  pass  a  portrait  painter's  shop 
having  hung  out  of  the  window  the  picture  of  a 
decapitated  mandarin,  with  head,  cap,  and  button 
lying  in  the  gutter ;  and  the  offended  dignitary  stopt 
his  sedan  to  order  the  artist  to  be  paid  for  his  pains 
in  the  sum  of  forty  blows  of  the  bastinado.  Nor 
was  it  much  better  that  he  should  be  lampooned  in 
a  forged  proclamation  of  Tien-teh,  stuck  up  on  all  the 
walls,  and  offering  a  reward  often  thousand  piasters 
to  whomsoever  should  bring  in  alive  to  camp  "  the 

•  Compare  the  account  in  Gallery  and  Yvan — though  not  gener- 
ally good  authority. 


180  TAI-PING-WANG. 

traitor  Siu-kvvang-tsin.*'  This  greatly  vexed  the 
viceroy,  who  roundly  swore  that  he  would  wring 
the  neck  of  the  jester  ;  but  who,  on  considering  that 
some  one  might  possibly  take  the  joke  in  earnest, 
prudently  continued  on  his  march.* 

He  arrived  safely  in  Kwang-si,  and  immediately 
set  to  work  securely  to  ensconce  himself  within  the 
ramparts  of  Chao-king.  But  no  sooner  had  he  got 
settled  to  his  mind,  than  a  rebel  chief — by  name, 
Chou-lou-tao — coming  into  his  neighborhood,  had 
the  impudence  to  "  call  him  out*'  in  single  combat. 
This  was  quite  too  much  for  the  viceroy's  temper. 
It  threw  him  into  such  a  fit  of  passion  that  he  im- 
mediately called  for  his  sedan,  put  himself  at  the 
head  of  his  troops,  performed  a  whole  day's  march 
backward,  and  would,  probably,  have  ultimately  re- 
gained Canton,  had  not  retreat  in  that  direction  been 
cut  off  by  the  enemy. 

But  this  check,  mortifying  as  it  might  be  to  the 
pride  of  so  great  a  braggart,  served,  nevertheless,  to 
develop  and  illustrate  the  resources  of  his  strategy. 
For  he  here  devised  a  scheme  for  the  annihilation  of 
a  body  of  insurgents,  established  on  his  line  of  re- 
treat, such  as  is  nowhere  hinted  at  in  the  twenty- 
four  volumes  of  the  Ou-pi-che,  or  •*  Complete  Trea- 

•  Note  F,  Appendix. 


THE    EXPLOITS    OF    SIU-KWANG-TSIN.  181 

tise  on  the  Art  of  War."  It  had  not,  indeed,  the 
merit  of  entire  originality,  but  was  as  follows: 

Seizing  upon  all  the  buffaloes  and  horned  cattle 
far  and  near,  he  had  them  tied  together  in  squads, 
and  their  horns  equipped  with  torches  of  resin. 
The  design  was  to  drive  the  animals  down  by  night 
upon  the  enemy's  camp,  thereby  setting  it  on  fire, 
and  frightening  the  rebels  out  of  the  country,  under 
the  belief  that  the  demons  from  the  lower  regions 
were  in  pursuit  of  them  with  flambeaus  and  pitch- 
forks. 

Accordingly,  one  dark  night  the  troop  was  set  in 
motion.  It  numbered  about  4,000,  and  there  was 
a  man  at  the  heels  of  every  buffalo.  The  whole 
affair  came  down  upon  the  rebels  at  a  gallop,  tails 
in  the  air,  and  horns  in  a  blaze.  But,  unluckly, 
the  secret  of  the  expedition  had  been  badly  kept. 
The  insurgents  had  got  wind  of  what  was  coming, 
and,  lying  in  wait,  took  possession  of  this  large  sup- 
ply of  beef  on  the  hoof,  cut  to  pieces  the  better  part 
of  the  force  which  accompanied  it,  and  sent  the 
rest  back  into  the  hills  at  a  smarter  pace  even  than 
that  with  which  they  had  descended.* 

Siu  was  taken  at  disadvantage,  but  he  was  not 
entirely  disconcerted.    The  very  next  week  he  camo 

•  Compare  the  narrative  In  the  Friend  ofCUna,  September,  1851. 


182  TAI-nXG-WAXG. 

out  with  a  new  plan  of  attack,  directed  against 
Tien-teh  himself.  This  was  to  send  an  embassy, 
and  open,  under  cover  of  the  white  flag,  a  battery 
of  ingots  upon  him.  Siu  proposed  to  make  over  to 
the  chieftain,  on  condition  of  his  disbanding  his 
forces,  all  the  silver  he  had  in  his  camp-chest,  be- 
sides promising  immediately  to  raise  for  him  twice 
as  much  more,  and  holding  out  a  prospect  of  man- 
darin's buttons,  peacock's  feathers,  and  even  an  ad- 
mission into  the  *' Forest  of  Pencils  Society."  But 
this  time,  tlie  cunning  viceroy  mistook  his  man. 
He  did  not  at  all  comprehend  the  serious  character 
of  the  insurgent  movement,  and  vainly  supposed  its 
leader  to  be  such  an  one  as  himself,  capable  of  being 
bought  for  the  price  of  a  few  court  baubles.  His 
messengers,  however,  were  civilly  received,  and  sent 
back,  after  five  days  of  feasting,  with  new  coats  to 
their  backs — and  that  was  the  end  of  the  matter. 

One  of  the  lesser  strokes  of  policy  executed  by  the 
viceroy  during  this  campaign,  consisted  in  deputing 
a  trusty  officer  to  proceed  with  a  small  force  to  the 
district  of  Hwa-hien,  for  the  purpose  of  destroying 
the  ancestral  tombs  of  the  Hung  fiimily.  This,  it  was 
thought,  would  completely  annihilate  the  prestige 
of  Tien-teh,  inasmuch  as,  in  China,  a  man,  without 
ancestors,  is  nobody,  and  without  tablets  and  tomb- 
stones to  vouch  for  their  having  existed,  is,  if  possi- 


THE    EXPLOITS    OF    SIU-KWANG-TSIN.  183 

ble,  still  less.  But  as  if  to  show  that  a  new  order 
of  ideas  was  about  to  prevail  in  the  country,  this 
desecration  of  the  pious  memorials  of  Tien-teh's  an- 
cestry did  not  at  all  damage  his  consideration,  nor 
diminish  the  number  of  his  followers. 

Nor  did  the  emperor  fail  worthily  to  second  the 
efforts  of  his  servants  in  Kwang-si.  It  was  esti- 
mated that  as  many  as  15,000  or  20,000  men  were 
sent  into  the  province  in  the  course  of  the  season. 
Orders  were  issued  that  the  revenues  of  the  customs, 
and  the  salt-tax  in  several  adjoining  provinces,  should 
be  appropriated  to  defraying  their  expenses ;  ranks 
and  titles  were  freely  sold  for  the  same  purpose  in 
both  the  Kwangs ;  and  contributions  were  levied 
upon  Canton,  and  other  principal  cities,  where  the 
wealthier  citizens  were  invited  to  loan  the  govern- 
ment money,  after  the  fashion  vulgarly  called  a 
"  squeeze." 

Hien-fung  also  exhibited,  particularly  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  year,  no  less  activity  in  issuing 
edicts  degrading  his  officers,  and  magistrates,  who 
were  unable  to  suppress  the  insurrection,  than  they 
in  sending  in  petitions  requesting  it.  Even  Siu 
himself  was  lowered  four  degrees.  Nor  did  the 
emperor's  prime  minister,  Sai-shang-ah,  who  had 
been  sent  to  succeed  Li,  as  imperial  commissioner 
in  Kwang-si,  and  who  had  failed  of  retaking  the 


184  TAI-PIXG-WANG. 

city  of  Yung-gnan  "in  a  fortnight,"  as  ordered, 
escape  a  similar  letting  down  in  his  dignities.  Two 
generals  of  division,  also,  were  cashiered  for  having 
"feigned  illness"  on  the  eve  of  meeting  the  enemy; 
one  field-officer  was  punished  for  cowardice  with 
two  months'  exposure  in  the  stocks ;  and  two  pre- 
fects of  towns,  unwilling  to  survive  the  loss  of  their 
buttons,  put  an  end  to  their  existence — the  one  by 
poison,  and  the  other  by  hanging. 

There  were,  indeed,  not  a  few  successes  heralded 
during  the  campaign  in  the  Peking  Gazette.  One 
bulletin  killed  off  800  rebels  at  a  single  volley  ;  an- 
other detailed  the  marvelous  effects  of  a  cannon 
ball,  which  swept  away  an  entire  file  of  the  enemy's 
army  ;  and  a  third  contained  a  poem,  written  by  the 
emperor  himself,  on  the  valiant  deeds  of  the  "  futu- 
tung,"  "Wurantai,  who  had  been  successful  in  his 
defense  of  the  capital  of  Kwang-si  against  an  at- 
tack of  the  insurgents.  There  was  any  number  of 
these  boastful  viojiiteurs  ;  but  the  holding  of  this  im- 
portant city,  called  Kwei-lin,  or  "  Forest  of  Cinna- 
mon Trees,"  was  the  only  real  success  during  the 
year  on  the  part  of  the  imperialists.  It  being 
strongly  fortified,  the  insurgents,  who,  at  that  period 
of  the  war,  possessed  little  or  no  heavy  artillery, 
and  few  skillful  engineers,  were  unable  to  effect 
its  capture.     But  at  every  other  point  they  were 


THE    EXPLOITS    OP    SIU-KWANG-TSIN.  185 

victorious ;  and,  while  the  centre  of  their  operations 
turned  upon  the  districts  of  Kwei-ping,  Wusiuen, 
and  Siang,  their  standards  were  carried  thence  even 
into  the  adjacent  provinces  of  Kwang-tung,  Hou- 
nan,  and  Hou-pe. 


XXXII. 

THE   ABMY   AND   COURT  OP  THE   TAI-PINa  DYNASTY. 

The  capture  by  the  insurgents  of  the  superior  dis- 
trict city  of  Yung-gnan  was  the  feat  of  the  cam- 
paign which  was  followed  by  the  most  important 
consequences.  For  here  Tien-teh  formally  estab- 
lished, and  proclaimed  his  new  dynasty,  under  the 
name  of  Tai-ping  (Great  Peace),  and  he  himself 
was  afterwards  called  Tai-ping-wang,  or  King  of 
Peace,  the  title  of  Tien-teh  going  into  gradual  dis- 
use. At  the  same  time  his  wife  was,  by  special 
edict,  styled,  Niang-niang,  or  empress ;  and  new 
titles  were  given  to  his  chief  officers.  Yang-Si u- 
tsing  was  called  "  king  of  the  east ;"  Siau-Chau- 
kwei,  "  king  of  the  west ;"  Fung-yun-san,  "  king 
of  the  south ;"  and  Wei-ching,  "  king  of  the 
north."  Other  high  dignitaries  also  were  created. 
Shih  was  appointed  assistant  king  ;  Che,  minister 
of  civil  affairs ;  Tsin  was  placed  over  the  revenues  ; 
and  Chou  was  made  supreme  judge,* 

*  Compare  Ho.  of  Reps.  Doc.,  No.  123,  p.  155. 


THE    ARMY    AND    COURT    OF    TAI-PING.  187 

The  organization  of  the  array,  likewise,  was  now 
perfected.  It  was  divided  into  phalanxes  of  13,125 
men,  under  command  of  u  dux;  and  these  subdivided 
into  legions  of  2,625  men,  under  command  of  a  pre- 
fect ;  and  these  again  into  cohorts  of  525  men,  un- 
der command  of  a  tribune.  The  inferior  officers 
were  denominated  centurions,  who  were  at  the  head 
of  divisions  of  104  men  ;  vexillaries,  at  the  head  of 
twenty-five;  and  cinquevirs,  at  the  head  of  four. 
All  these  subordinates,  excepting  the  last,  were  dis- 
tinguished by  three-cornered  flags,  of  different  sizes ; 
while  the  generals  were  known  by  still  larger  ban- 
ners, which  were  four-square. 

The  flags  bore  inscriptions  indicating  the  differ- 
ent ranks,  as  for  example,  *'The  dux  of  the  phalanx 
belonging  to  the  Tai-ping  dynasty,  raised  in  the 
district  of  Kwei,  in  the  province  of  Kwang-si."  The 
cinquevirs  also  wore  badges  on  their  breasts,  con- 
sisting of  a  piece  of  cloth  five  inches  square,  on 
which  were  written  the  names  of  the  vexillary, 
century,  cohort,  and  legiou  to  which  they  severally 
belonged,  together  with  the  words,  "  firm,"  "  brave," 
"  courageous,"  **  daring,"  or  '*  martial,"  to  designate 
each  of  the  five  cinquevirs.  And  the  four  soldiers  un- 
der each  of  the  five  cinquevirs,  had  a  piece  of  cloth 
four  inches  square,  attached  to  their  breasts,  on  which 
were  inscribed,  besides  the  names  of  the  respective 


188  TAI-PING-WANG. 

cinquevir,  vexillary,  century,  cohort,  and  legion, 
the  words,  "  rush  on  the  foe,"  *'  beat  the  enemy," 
"  obtain  the  victory,"  or  "  report  success,"  to  desig- 
nate each  of  the  four  soldiers.  Thus,  every  soldier 
in  the  army  had  his  particular  badge,  as  well  as 
every  officer  his  separate  flag. 

The  females,  who  accompanied  the  troops,  or 
rather  formed  a  part  of  them,  were  organized  in  a 
manner  very  similar,  having  officers  of  their  own 
sex,  and  a  separate  camp.  It  fell  to  their  lot,  not 
80  much  to  do  the  fighting,  as  the  hard  work,  and 
menial  service  of  the  army ;  being  rather  its  slaves, 
than  its  sutlers. 

The  regulations  of  the  "army  of  the  Tai-ping 
dynasty,"  consisted  of  ten  principal  rules  to  be  ob- 
served in  camp,  and  ten  to  be  observed  on  the 
march.     They  were  as  follows  : 

RULES  TO  BE  OBSERVED  IN  A  CAMP. 

1.  Carefully  obey  the  celestial  regulation?. 

2.  Make  yourselves  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  commands  of 
heaven,  and  the  form  of  worship,  with  praise  and  thanksgiving,  to 
be  used  every  morning  and  evening  ;  as  well  as  with  the  orders  is- 
sued by  the  sovereign. 

3.  Cultivate  good  morals,  avoid  the  smoking  of  tobacco,  and  the 
drinking  of  wine,  be  just  and  mild  ;  do  not  conceal  offenses,  nor  in- 
dulge partialities,  nor  comply  with  inferiors  at  the  risk  of  disobeying 
superiors. 

4.  With  united  heart  and  effort  obey  the  requisition  of  officers  ; 
do  not  conceal  the  number  of  military  weapons,  nor  hide  gold  and 
silver  ornaments. 


THE    ARMY    AND    COURT    OF    TAl-PING.  189 

5.  Observe  the  distinctions  between  the  camp  of  the  males  and 
that  of  the  females  ;  let  not  men  and  women  give  or  take  from  each 
other's  hands. 

6.  Make  yoarselyes  familiar  with  the  signals  given  for  the 
assembling  of  the  troops  by  means  of  the  gong,  horn,  or  dram, 
whether  by  day  or  by  night. 

7.  Do  not,  without  necessity,  go  from  one  camp,  or  legion,  to 
another,  lest  yon  should  throw  into  confusion  public  arrangements. 

8.  Learn  correctly  the  proper  title  of  officers,  and  the  terms  to  be 
used  in  addressing  them. 

9.  Let  your  arms  and  accoutrements  be  always  in  order,  and 
ready  for  immediate  service. 

10.  Do  not  falsify  the  laws  of  the  State,  and  the  regulations  of  the 
sovereign  ;  do  not  wrongly  communicate  the  military  signals,  or  the 
regimental  orders. 

RULES  TO  BE  OBSERVED  ON  A  MARCH. 

1.  Every  soldier  and  officer,  whether  regular  or  volunteer,  from 
fifteen  years  old  and  upwards,  must  carry  about  with  him  the  ne- 
cessary military  accoutrements,  provisions,  cooking  utensils,  oil  and 
salt :  let  no  spear  want  its  shaft. 

2.  Let  no  able-bodied  soldiers  or  officers,  whether  inside  or  outside 
men.  ride  in  a  chair,  or  on  horseback,  when  not  entitled  to  do  so  by 
his  station  or  office ;  neither  let  any  improperly  impress  outside 
meuials  into  their  service. 

3.  Let  all  officers  and  soldiers,  whether  outside  or  inside  men, 
stand  on  one  side,  and  cry  out,  "  Long  live  the  king,  or  the  queen, 
or  the  princes,'*  as  the  case  may  be  ;  and  let  none  enter  the  royal 
conveyance,  or  use  the  horses,  or  chairs  of  the  royal  ladies. 

4.  When  orders  are  given,  or  the  trumpet  sounds,  let  every 
one  immediately  hasten  to  the  defense  of  the  royal  person,  or 
slaughter  the  foe  in  obedience  to  orders  ;  let  none  retreat,  nor  study 
his  own  comfort 

5.  Let  no  officers  nor  soldiers,  male  or  female,  enter  into  the  villages 
to  cook  rice,  or  steal  food  ;  nor  let  any  injure  the  dwellings  of  the 
people,  nor  steal  their  property :  neither  let  them  ransack  the  apo- 
thecaries', or  other  shops,  nor  the  public  offices  in  the  different  pre- 
fectures and  districts. 


190  TAI-PING-WANG. 

6.  Let  not  any  one  impress  the  outside  menials,  who  sell  tea,  rice, 
or  water,  to  be  bearers  of  burdens ;  neither  let  any  fraudulently 
appropriate  the  baggage  of  any  of  their  brethren  throughout  the 
host. 

7.  Let  not  any  hang  up  their  lanterns  by  the  roadside,  nor  in  the 
shops,  and  go  to  sleep,  so  as  to  impede  the  march  ;  but  let  all,  whe- 
ther in  the  front  or  rear,  press  forward  in  succession,  and  not  attempt 
to  run  away. 

8.  Let  not  any  one  set  fire  to  the  dwellings  of  the  people,  nor  com- 
mit nuisances  in  the  roads,  or  in  private  houses. 

9.  Let  not  aged  or  infirm  bearers  of  burdens  be  wickedly  put  to 
death. 

10.  Let  every  one  obey  the  commands  and  dispositions  of  the  ge- 
neral, or  officers,  and  let  none  presume  to  advance,  or  retire,  accord- 
ing to  their  own  convenience." 

The  ceremonial  regulations  of  the  new  court  were 
quite  as  minute,  and  almost  as  numerous  as  those 
framed  for  the  government  of  the  army.  Titles, 
orders  of  precedence,  modes  of  address,  and  all  the 
points  of  oriental  court  etiquette  were  duly  settled 
and  set  forth.  The  following  are  specimens  of  these 
orders  : 

** '  The  Son  of  the  Age,'  or  heir-apparent  to  the  throne,  is  to  be 
addressed  by  all  subjects  with  the  title  of  *  Young  Lord  ;'  and  *  may 
he  live  for  a  myriad  of  years.' 

"  The  eldest  daughter  of  the  sovereign  is  to  be  addressed  by  all  thope 
under  her  as  the  '  Eldest  Celestial  Piece  of  Gold.' 

•'  From  a  prime  minister  to  a  dux,  all  are  to  be  addressed  as  *  The 
Great  Man  ;'  from  a  prefect  to  a  vexillary,  all  are  to  be  addressed  as 
*  The  Good  Man  ;'  from  the  son  of  a  prime  minister  to  the  son  of  a 
dux,  all  are  to  be  entitled  *  Son  of  the  Just;'  from  the  son  of  a  pre- 
fect to  the  son  of  a  vexillary,  all  are  to  be  entitled  *  Son  of  a  Com- 
mander ;'  from  the  daughter  of  a  prime  minister  to  the  daughter  of 


THE    ARMY    AND    COURT    OF    TAI-PING.  191 

a  dux,  all  are  to  be  entitled  *  Gems ;'  and  from  the  daughter  of  a  pre- 
fect to  the  daughter  of  a  vexillary,  all  are  to  l5e  entitled  *  Snow,'  aa 
*  The  Snow  of  the  Prefect,'  •  The  Sqow  of  the  Tribune.' 

"  When  one  noble  father-in-law  wishes  to  converse  with  another 
noble  father-in-law,  they  must  address  each  other  according  to  the 
precedence  of  rank ;  for  instance,  if  the  noble  father-in-law  of  the 
king  of  7,000  years  wait  upon  the  noble  father-in-law  of  the  king  of 
9,000  years,  he  addresses  him  as  the  '  Elder  Brother,  nobly  related  to 
the  Eaj*tem  King ;'  so,  also,  if  the  noble  father-in-law  of  the  king  of 
7,000  years  meet  with  the  noble  father-in-law  of  the  king  of  6,000 
years,  he  addresses  him  as  the  ♦  Younger  Brother,  nobly  related  to 
the  Northern  King.'  "* 

Finally,  among  the  lesser  mattera  regulated,  and 
changes  introduced,  at  this  time,  it  may  be  men- 
tioned, ih&t  the  table  of  the  newly-proclaimed  em- 
peror was  served  with  increased  state  and  ceremony  ; 
the  number  of  his  wives  was  raised  to  six-and-thirty  ;t 
a  calendar  was  published,  in  which,  by  mistake,  the 
intercalary  moon  was  omitted  ;  the  Tartar  tunic  was 
exchanged  for  one  open  in  front,  after  the  fashion 
of  the  days  of  the  Ming  dynasty ;  and  every  man 
cut  off  his  queue,  in  token  that  he  had  passed  from 
under  the  yoke  of  the  foreigner. 

•  Compare  Ho.  of  Reps.  Doc.,  No.  123,  XXXIIIrd  Congress,  Ist 
Session,  pp.  144-154. 

t  Mr.  Commissioner  Marshall  says  thirty — p.  2G8  of  ditto. 


XXXIII. 

THE    PRETENDED   COXFESSIOXS    OF    TIEN-TEH. 

But  while  Tien-teh  was  establishing  his  new  dy- 
nasty in  Yung-gnan,  a  report  was  circulated  by  the 
imperialists  that  he  had  been  captured,  and  executed, 
after  confession. 

The  story  originated  in  this  wise:  One  of  the 
subordinate  generals  having  been  taken  prisoner  in 
a  skirmish,  it  w^as  noised  abroad  that  it  was  the 
chief  himself.  So,  in  the  opium  war,  the  Chinese 
having  got  possession  of  the  body  of  an  English  sol- 
dier, cut  off  the  head,  and  sent  it  to  court  as  that  of 
Sir  Gordon  Bremer.  Accordingly,  the  story  ran 
through  the  country  that  Tien-teh  had  been  sent  in 
an  iron  cage  to  Peking ;  and  the  authorities,  think- 
ing to  strengthen  a  feeble  cause  by  falsehood,  greedily 
caught  it  up. 

The  captive  was  made  to  tell  all  he  knew  about 
the  real  Tien-teh,  and  when  he  had  done  so,  a  docu- 
ment was  drawn  up  with   no  great  cunning,  and 


THE  PRETENDED  CONFESSIONS  OF  TIEN-TEH.      193 

publsihed  as  the  dying  confession  of  the  leader  of 
the  insurrection.  There  was  some  truth  in  it,  but 
more  falsehood ;  besides  an  evident  attempt  to  bring 
into  contempt  the  author  of  the  insurrection,  as  a 
man  of  a  weak  and  vicious  character,  and  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Triad  and  Shang-ti  societies. 

The  substance  of  the  document  was,  that  the 
captured  general,  who  called  himself  Hung,  had 
been  raised  by  the  insurgents  to  the  imperial  dignity 
under  the  title  of  Tien-teh ;  that  earlier  in  life  he 
had  been  an  unsuccessful  applicant  for  literary  de- 
grees ;  that  having  turned  bonze,  he  had  directed  his 
attention  more  to  the  art  of  war  than  to  the  studies 
of  religion ;  that  in  traveling  through  Kwang-tung 
he  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  Hung-Siu-tshuen 
and  Hung-Yung-san,  who  were  connected  with  a 
** society  of  the  three  principles;"  that  Siu-tshueu 
was  learned  in  magic  and  the  art  of  holding  com- 
munication with  devils,  while  Yung-san  had  forged 
a  history  about  a  Heavenly  Father,  and  a  Heavenly 
Elder  Brother,  Jesus,  who  had  come  down  from 
heaven,  where  he  resided  in  a  palace ;  that  in  De- 
cember, 1850,  he  again  met  with  Siu-tshuen,  in 
Kwang-si,  where  the  latter  had  got  together  a  society 
of  the  Shang-ti,  and  had  begun  the  work  of  pillage 
and  resistance  to  government;  that  Siu-tshuen 
called  him  his  worthy  brother,  and  honored  him 


194  TAI-PIXG-WANG. 

with  the  title  of  King  Tien-teh,  and  took  lessons  of 
him  in  the  art  of  war ;  that  he  called  Siu-tshuen, 
who  had  assumed  the  name  of  Tai-ping,  his  elder 
brother,  but  they  both  were  addressed  by  their  in- 
feriors as  their  majesties ;  that  in  the  month  of 
August  the  insurgents  took  possession  of  the  city  of 
Yung-gnan,  where  he  and  Siu-tshuen  installed  them- 
selves in  the  official  residence ;  that  the  latter  was 
grossly  addicted  both  to  wine  and  women  ;  that  he 
himself  desired  the  destruction  of  Siu-tshuen,  in 
order  to  get  the  supreme  power  into  his  own  hands; 
that  during  the  occupation  of  Yung-gnan,  the  officers 
made  regular  reports  to  headquarters  on  affairs  of 
state  and  the  army,  and  that  a  calendar  was  pub- 
lished ;  that  on  moving  the  camp  from  Yung-gnan, 
he  himself  was  made  prisoner,  with  a  loss  of  1,000 
men,  in  consequence  of  Siau's  not  obeying  his  orders ; 
that  his  real  name  was  not  Hung,  which  had  been 
adopted  on  his  making  the  acquaintance  of  Siu- 
tshuen;  and  that  it  was  not  through  his  own  choice 
that  he  ascended  the  imperial  throne.* 

The  inconsistencies  of  this  confession  are  obvious. 
While  the  pretended  Tien-teh  claims  to  have  been 
king  and  emperor,  he,  throughout  the  document,  re- 
fers to  Hung-Siu-tshuen  as  his  superior  in  authority; 

♦  Peking  Gazette. 


THE  PRETENDED  CONFESSIONS  OF  TIEN-TEH.   195 

and,  while  he  asserts  that  he  was  raised  to  the  im- 
perial dignity  against  his  own  choice,  he  contradicts 
himself  by  saying,  that  he  was  desirous  of  the  over- 
throw of  Siu-tshuen,  in  order  to  seize  on  the  su- 
preme power  himself.  The  outline  of  Siu-tshuen's 
career  is  indicated  in  the  confession  with  a  tolerable 
degree  of  correctness,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt 
but  that  the  person,  from  whom  was  obtained  the 
information  contained  in  it,  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  main  facts  in  his  history.  The  deception 
lies  in  the  captive's  assuming  the  name  Tien-teh,  by 
which  alone  Siu-tshuen  was  then  known  to  fame, 
as  it  had  only  recently  been  laid  aside  for  that  of 
Tai-ping-wang.  For  this  the  authorities  at  Peking 
must  be  held  responsible,  and  it  is  not  a  bad  speci- 
men of  the  small  tricks  so  characteristic  of  their 
diplomacy. 

However,  the  mandarins  at  court  followed  up  the 
advantage  supposed  to  have  been  gained  in  the  pre- 
tended capture  and  death  of  the  leader  of  the  insur- 
rection, by  scattering  abroad  reports  calculated  to 
bring  into  contempt  the  whole  movement.  There 
being  nothing  more  ridiculous  in  the  eyes  of  the 
Chinese  than  for  a  nation  of  men  to  be  governed  by 
a  woman,  pamphlets  were  put  into  circulation  affirm- 
ing that  the  rebels,  after  the  loss  of  their  chief, 
had  been  brought  under  the  petticoats  of  his  widow. 


196  TAI-PING-WANG. 

This  joke  met  with  great  currency;  and  the  impe- 
rialists, chuckling,  said  that  the  Kwang-si  folks  were 
for  restoring  the  days  of  the  empress,  Ou-hou,  when 
the  hand  of  a  vixen  seized  upon  the  reins  of  govern- 
ment, and  men  submitted  for  twenty  years  to  be  tied 
to  apron-strings. 

About  the  same  time,  also,  was  forged  and  pub- 
lished in  the  official  gazette,  a  most  pitiful  submis- 
sion of  the  whole  insurgent  force,  who,  "with  faces 
prostrate  on  the  ground,"  were  made  to  tell  a  string 
of  falsehoods  about  having  been  compelled  by  rainy 
seasons  to  go  to  Kwang-si  for  subsistence,  where 
they  were  so  unfortunate  as  to  become  associated 
with  robbers ;  but  that,  like  the  famous  bandit, 
Lu-miing,  they  had  sincerely  repented,  and  were 
ready  to  offer  their  backs  to  the  bamboos,  which 
they  had  so  richly  merited,  but  from  which  they 
hoped  to  be  delivered  through  the  clemency  of  his 
most  gracious  Majesty. 

But  to  all  these  fanciful  inventions  of  the  im- 
perialists, Tai-ping-wang  replied  from  his  newly- 
established  throne  in  Yung-gnan,  with  the  following 
serious  and  important  declarations  : 

"Know,  all  people,  students,  freemen,  artisans, 
and  merchants,  that  the  fortunate  days  of  Han  are 
about  to  return,  and  that  the  foreign  dynasty  of  the 
Manchus  hastens  to  its  termination.     This  is  a  sure 


THE  PRETENDED  CONFESSIONS  OF  TIEN-TEH.   197 

decree  of  heaven  ;  and  things  will  be  securely  estab- 
lished by  the  publication  of  our  laws.  We  have 
always  displayed  our  beneficence,  and,  before  pros- 
trating ourselves  before  the  Supreme  Being,  have 
ever  rendered  assistance  to  the  unfortunate.  After 
having  learned  to  adore  God,  we  have  labored  to 
save  the  people  from  calamity — have  supported  the 
weak,  resisted  the  strong,  and  saved  the  villages 
from  robbers.  We  did  not  act  like  the  chiefs  Tai- 
ta-ou,  and  others,  who  stopped  the  junks  on  the 
rivers,  pillaged  and  massacred  the  inhabitants  of  town 
and  country,  and  then  asked  the  mandarins  for  pass- 
ports and  safe-conducts  to  take  them  to  a  place  of 
safety.  When  we,  by  the  power  of  heaven,  entered 
Yung-gnan,  we  extended  our  munificence  around 
us,  and,  looking  upon  the  people  as  our  own  chil- 
dren, induced  them  to  abstain  from  murder,  and  to 
take  nothing  without  permission.  We  are  just  and 
impartial  as  a  balance ;  but  if  any  one  refuse  obe- 
dience, he  will  be  handed  over  to  the  officers  of  the 
army.  We  call  upon  the  inhabitants  of  every  dis- 
trict to  surrender  if  they  would  merit  the  reward 
due  to  voluntary  adhesion.  In  the  meanwhile,  we 
are  waiting  the  arrival  of  the  chiefs  from  the  other 
provinces  to  join  our  forces,  in  order  to  go  and 
attack  the  capital,  and  take  possession  of  the 
empire." 


XXXIV. 

DESCENT  OF  THE  HEAVENLY  FATHER. 

In  setting  up  a  new  celestial  kingdom,  and  wag- 
ing a  holy  war  against  idolatry,  Tai-ping-wang 
believed  himself  to  be  acting  as  the  instrument  of 
the  one  true  God.  He  had  on  his  side  tlie  heavenly 
powers.     The  stars  in  their  courses  fought  for  him. 

But  to  carry  out  his  plans  of  conquest,  and  of 
empire,  it  was  necessary  that  this  faith  should  be 
shared  by  his  followers.  Accordingly,  the  new 
spiritual  ideas  were  expressed  in  language  adapted 
to  their  vulgar  capacity ;  the  Deity  was  anthropo- 
morphized, in  order  that  their  minds,  judging  accord- 
ing to  sense,  might  have  an  imaginary  form,  in  the 
place  of  the  visible  ones  which  had  been  discarded, 
and  an  intercourse,  after  the  manner  of  men,  was 
announced  as  existing  between  the  court  of  heaven, 
and  that  newly  established  on  earth.  For  the  God- 
worshipers  were,  at  best,   but  babes   in    the   new 


DESCENT  OF  THE  HEAVENLY  FATHER.    199 

religion,  and  capable  of  apprehending  it  only  when 
taught  in  childish  language. 

The  following  official  account  of  the  descent  of  the 
Heavenly  Father,  for  the  purpose  of  exposing  and 
bringing  to  punishment  a  spy  in  the  insurgent 
camp,  will  illustrate  the  kind  of  spiritual  machinery 
and  figurative  language,  by  which  the  chiefs  guided 
and  controlled  the  forces  of  the  insurrection  : 

On  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  the  tenth  month  of 
the  Sin-kae  year  (4th  December,  1851),  the  first  of  the 
Tai-ping  dynasty,  the  Heavenly  Father  gave  himself 
the  trouble  to  appear  once  more  on  earth,  and  ordered 
Yang-Yun-tsing  and  Yang-poo-tsing,  the  two  royal 
cousins,  to  go  to  the  several  princes,  and  inform 
them  of  his  presence.  The  princes,  on  learning  the 
fact,  attended  at  court,  and  entreated  the  celestial 
king  to  accompany  them ;  whereupon  his  Majesty, 
guarded  by  the  princes  and  body-guards,  together 
with  a  host  of  officials,  ourselves  included,  advanced 
into  the  presence  of  the  Heavenly  Father. 

Arrived  there,  the  king,  with  all  his  ministers, 
knelt  down,  and  asked,  saying,  "  Is  the  Heavenly 
Father  come  down?"  The  Heavenly  Father  then 
addressed  the  celestial  king,  saying,  "  Siu-tshuen,  I 
am  going  to  take  this  matter  in  hand  to-day  ;  a 
mere  mortal  would  find  it  a  hard  task ;  there  is  one 
Chow-seih-nang,  a  traitor  at  heart,  who,  yesterday, 


200  TAI-PING-WANG. 

after  holding  some  collusive  communication  with  the 
enemy,  returned  to  court,  intending  to  carry  into 
effect  a  very  serious  revolt ;  are  you  aware  of  this?'* 
The  king  rejoined,  "  Tsing  and  the  other  brethren 
have  already  informed  me  of  this  ;  I  am  fortunate  in 
being  able  to  depend  upon  the  Heavenly  Father's 
power  and  ability  in  the  management  of  the  matter 
this  day ;  otherwise  I  should  find  it  a  hard  task." 

When  he  had  finished  speaking,  the  Heavenly 
Father  commanded  Mung-Tih-tien,  saying,  "  Go  you 
and  fetch   Chow-Seih-nang." 

Mung-Tih-tien  replied,  "  Your  commands  shall  be 
obeyed ;"  and  forthwith  brought  Chow-Seih-nang 
into  the  presence  of  the  Heavenly  Father. 

The  Heavenly  Father  then  addressed  that  indi- 
vidual thus :  "  Chow-Seih-nang,  whence  did  you 
come  lately  ?" 

Seih-nang :  "  After  repeated  applications  through 
the  eastern  and  other  princes  to  the  sovereign,  I 
was  graciously  permitted  to  return  to  Po-pih,  to  as- 
semble the  brethren  and  sisters." 

The  Father:  "With  whom  did  you  go?" 

Seih-nang :  **  With  Kwang-Chow-leen." 

The  Father :  "  Chow-Seih-nang,  who  is  it  that 
is  now  speaking  to  you  in  the  eastern  palace." 

Seih-nang :  *'  The  Heavenly  Father,  the  Supreme 
Lord,  and  Great  God  is  addressing  me." 


DESCENT  OF  THE  HEAVENLY  FATHER.    201 

The  Father :  "  Seih-nang,  are  you  aware  that  the 
Heavenly  Father  is  omnipotent,  omnipresent,  and 
6mniscient?** 

Seih-nang :  "  I  am  aware  that  the  Heavenly 
Father  is  possessed  of  those  attributes." 

The  Father:  "Are  you  aware  that  China,  in  this 
world  of  mortals,  has,  for  many  years  past,  paid  me 
no  reverence  V* 

Seih-nang  :  **  The  inhabitants  of  China,  blind  to 
the  goodness  of  the  Heavenly  Father,  have  long 
neglected  and  ceased  to  worship  him." 

The  Father  :  *'  Do  you  know  the  measure  of  the 
Heavenly  Father's  indulgence  ?" 

Seih-nang :  **  His  indulgence  is  as  vast  as  the 
ocean." 

The  Father  :  "Are  you  aware  that  the  Heavenly 
Father  can  assist  men  ?" 

Seih-nang  :  "  I  know  that  he  can  assist  men  ;  he 
has  already  aided  me  several  times." 

The  Father:  "If  you  know  that  I  have  often  as- 
sisted you,  you  must  be  aware  that  your  evil  deeds 
cannot  be  concealed  from  heaven;  tell  me,  then, 
truly,  wherein  you  have  done  wrong  ?" 


After  Chow-Seih-nang  had  finally  confessed  his 
guilt,  the  Heavenly  Father,  sighing,  addressed  him, 
9* 


202  TAI-PING-WANG. 

saying,  *'  Chow-Seih-nang,  I,  the  Heavenly  Father, 
having  discovered  your  schemes  of  rebellion  against 
heaven,  did  not  expose  them  without  reason,  nor 
accuse  you  wrongfully :  according  to  your  own 
statement,  I  was  right." 

Chow-Seih-nang  repentingly  rejoined :  *'  The  Hea- 
venly Father  has  rightly  exposed  my  errors,  and  I 
have  recounted  my  designs  of  rebellion  against  hea- 
ven ;  also,  without  a  single  misstatement.  I  know 
that,  by  my  errors,  I  have  oflended  against  the  laws, 
and  that  my  crimes  are  beyond  forgiveness;  I  re- 
pent them  now  when  too  late." 

Tlie  holy  warriors  of  the  Great  God,  and  the  as- 
sembled troops,  hearing  this,  were,  one  and  all, 
moved  with  indignation,  and,  gnashing  their  teeth, 
prayed  the  Heavenly  Father  to  order  the  traitorous 
devil  to  be  instantly  cut  into  ten  thousand  pieces, 
and  burnt  with  fire. 

The  Heavenly  Father  replied :  "  Be  courageous, 
my  children,  and  fear  not  to  rejoice  together ;  reso- 
lutely submit  to  heaven;  I  have  the  direction  of 
affairs." 

He  then  addressed  the  celestial  king,  saying :  *'  Siu- 
tshuen,  be  composed  ;  I  am  about  to  return  to 
heaven." 

At  this  time  it  was  already  the  third  watch  of  the 
night ;  so  the  ministers  all  escorted  their  sovereign 


DESCENT  OF  THE  HEAVENLY  FATHER.    203 

back  to  his  palace.  And  after  they  had  cried  "  Long 
live  the  king!"  they  all  returned  to  their  respective 
quarters,  glorifying  and  praising  the  goodness  of  the 
Heavenly  Father,  and  conversing,  one  with  another, 
on  the  omniscience  and  extraordinary  power  of 
God. 

But  all  on  a  sudden,  the  Heavenly  Father  re- 
turned to  earth,  and  directed  the  royal  cousin,  Yang- 
Yun-tsing,  to  send  some  one  to  the  residence  of  all 
the  princes,  to  tell  them  of  his  presence.  We, 
thereupon,  together  with  all  the  oflScers  of  the  court, 
hastened  into  the  presence  of  the  Heavenly  Father, 
and,  kneeling,  asked  him,  why  he  thus  took  the 
trouble  to  reappear. 

The  Father,  thereupon,  addressing  the  southern, 
northern,  and  assistant  princes,  and  the  assembled 
officers  of  all  ranks,  said  :  "  I  have,  this  evening,  dis- 
closed the  schemes  of  those  fiends,  and  have  ex- 
terminated those  traitorous  imps ;  be  increasingly 
careful,  my  children,  to  advance  yourselves  in  intel- 
ligence and  improvement ;  in  all  things,  I  am  pres- 
ent to  direct ;  fear  not,  therefore." 

They  all  replied :  "  We  know  that  the  Heavenly 
Father's  power  is  great;  we  pray  the  Heavenly 
Father  to  regard  us,  and  regenerate  our  hearts." 

The  Father  rejoined  :  "If  you  are  still  ignorant  of 
my  power,  recall  to-night's  scene  to  mind ;  if  still 


204  TAI-PIXG-WAXG. 

unware  of  my  omniscience  and  omnipotence,  ponder 
what  has  passed.  Learn  to  know  clearly  the  path 
to  heaven,  and  carefully  abstain  from  going  astray  ; 
be  courageous,  and  resolutely  obey  heaven ;  fear 
not ;  I  hold  the  superintendence  of  affairs." 

They  all  cried  :  "  We  gratefully  acknowledge  the 
goodness  of  the  Father  in  troubling  himself  to  in- 
struct us,  his  children." 

The  Father  replied  :  "  I  shall  now  return  to  hea- 
ven." 

The  whole  army  then  rejoiced  together  at  the 
goodness  of  the  Father,  and  proceeded  to  kill  piga 
and  oxen,  and  offer  them  up  in  thanksgiving  to  the 
Heavenly  Father  and  Great  God,  for  his  power  and 
mercy  in  confounding  the  fiendish  schemes  of  mortal 
imps,  and  his  gracious  care  over  his  children. 

The  next  day,  the  Father  gave  orders  to  bind 
Chow-Seih-nang,  his  wife,  Tsae-Wanmei,  his  son, 
Chow-Lechin,  together  with  the  imps  who  had  been 
in  collusion  with  them,  Choo-pah,  Chin-woo,  and 
others,  and  bring  them  forward  in  order  that  they 
might  be  put  to  death. 

When  they  were  brought,  Chovv-Seih-nang,  per- 
ceiving he  could  not  escape  death,  displayed  some  of 
his  better  feelings,  and,  with  a  loud  voice,  addressed 
the  assembly,  saying :  "  Brethren,  of  a  truth,  hea- 
ven has  this  day  interfered  in  this  matter ;  be  ye  all 


DESCENT    OF    THE    HEAVENLY    FATHER.  205 

careful  to  serve  your  country  with  fidelity;  learn 
from  rae  not  to  harbor  traitorous  designs  against 
heaven."  His  wife,  also,  indignantly  pointing  to- 
ward her  husband,  loudly  scolded  him,  saying :  "Of 
a  truth,  heaven  has,  indeed,  interfered  this  day ;  of 
a  truth,  heaven  is  now  about  to  slay  you,  for  your 
treason  and  treachery.  When  you  communicated 
to  me  these,  your  designs,  I  then,  with  tears,  bade 
you  forego  them,  and  now,  alas !  mother  and  son  are 
by  you  murdered ;  of  a  truth,  you  have  injured 
your  fellows  as  well  as  yourself." 

At  this  moment,  Choo-Seih-kwan,  who  was  ex- 
posed in  a  cangue  at  the  door  of  the  palace  court, 
as  an  example  to  all,  also  cried  out :  "Brethren,  be 
awakened  ;  I  am  deeply  indebted  to  the  power  and 
might  of  the  Heavenly  Father ;  for,  but  for  his  aid, 
I  should  have  been  deceived  by  my  uncle,  Choo-pah. 
My  uncle  has  a  wolfish  heart,  cut  him,  my  brethren, 
into  a  thousand  pieces."* 

*  MedhoTBt's  Translation. 


XXXV. 

SCHEMES  OF  THE  CURKENCV  DOCTORS. 

The  emperor,  to  add  to  all  his  other  distresses,  was 
getting  short  of  funds.  For  several  years  past,  the 
Chinese  finances  had  been  so  badly  administered  as 
to  create  an  annual  deficit  of  nearly  thirty  millions 
of  taels  ;  and  now  the  extraordinary  expenses  of  the 
war  were  estimated  by  the  board  of  revenue  at 
eighteen  uiillioiis,  or  about  fifteen  millions  of  dollars. 
Not  that  this  sum  had  been  actually  expended  on 
the  army;  for  peculation,  on  the  part  of  the  manda- 
rins of  all  ranks,  has  of  late  years  become  so  com- 
mon and  so  oppressive,  as  to  give  rise  to  the  popu- 
lar saying  that,  "The  greater  fish  eat  the  smaller; 
the  smaller  eat  the  shrimps  ;  and  the  shrimps  are 
obliged  to  eat  mud."  But  what  with  the  money 
actually  applied  to  the  raising  and  supporting  of 
troops,  sometimes  amounting  to  upwards  of  ten 
thousand  men,  and  that  embezzled  by  the  officials, 


SCHEMES    OF    THE    CURRENCY    DOCTORS.  207 

from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  the  imperial  treasury 
was  at  a  low  ebb» 

How  to  replenish  it  was  a  subject  of  anxious  in- 
quiry with  the  honorable  board,  having  the  manage- 
ment of  the  revenues.  As  was  natural,  there  were 
various  opinions  entertained  respecting  the  best 
methods  of  financiering.  Some  proposed  that  the 
government  should  establish  a  monopoly  of  the 
opium  trade — an  idea  which,  before  the  commence- 
ment of  the  insurrection,  would  not  have  been  toler- 
ated ;  others  advised  a  still  more  liberal  sale  of 
honors  and  offices ;  and  all  insisted  upon  keeping  up 
the  very  convenient  practice  of  "  squeezing."  Dis- 
charge from  the  duties  of  office,  with  retention  of 
its  emoluments,  dispensations  from  punishments, 
admissions  into  the  "Forest  of  Pencils  Society," 
peacocks'  feathers,  buttons — everything,  it  was  pro- 
posed, should  be  sold  for  money.  And,  finally,  there 
was  the  financial  panacea  of  a  paper  currency  to  be 
issued  by  government,  as  had  been  done  during  the 
war  with  the  "English  devils." 

But,  in  addition  to  all  these  schemes,  there  was 
one  prescription  by  a  currency-doctor,  for  curing  the 
financial  difficulty,  which  so  well  illustrates  the 
wisdom  of  the  "  celestials,"  as  to  be  specially  worth 
the  notice  of  all  '*  outside  barbarians."  This  was 
no  less  than  a  proposition  to  introduce  an  entirely 


208  TAI-PING-WANG. 

new  medium  of  exchange,  or  money,  and  was 
printed  in  the  official  gazette,  with  the  endorsement 
by  the  emperor,  "  Let  the  board  of  revenue  take 
this  memorial  into  consideration.  Respect  this." 
It  was  as  follows  : 

"  Cbu  Lan,  a  subordioatc  auditor  in  the  court  of  audit,  kneeling, 
memorializes  his  me^esty  that  he  will  please  have  jade-stone  cut  for 
money-counters,  that  thereby  the  national  resources  be  increased, 
and  the  needs  of  the  people  supplied  ;  upon  which  he  humbly  im- 
plores the  sacred  glance. 

"  Your  servant  has  recently  observed  that  the  precious  metals  do 
not  circulate  much,  which  has  caused  a  rise  in  the  price  of  articles ; 
the  copper  from  the  mines  is  insufficient,  and  the  annual  outflow  of 
silver  at  the  marts  on  the  cast  and  south  into  the  ships  of  foreigners 
must  be  reckoned  by  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  taels.  The 
military  expenses  in  Kwang-si,  and  the  outlay  for  the  repair  of  the 
Yellow  River,  must  also  be  reckoned  by  myriads ;  thus,  though  the 
fountain  docs  not  furnish,  still  the  stream  docs  not  stop,  and  this  has 
caused  the  present  embarrassment  in  both  public  and  private  affairs. 
In  my  humble  opinion,  in  order  to  prevent  everything  going  to  ruin, 
and  restore  prosperity  by  a  short  and  certain  method,  no  better  plan 
can  be  devised  than  to  use  jade-stone  for  money-counters.  The  an- 
cients regarded  jade  as  among  their  most  precious  things  ;  and 
according  to  the  Ready  Guide,  it  was  placed  under  the  care  of  the 
third  of  the  nine  treasurers ;  it  was  also  often  presented  to  the  Great 
Yu  as  tribute,  from  all  parts  of  the  empire. 

"  The  Cantons  of  Yarkand  and  Khoten  have  many  streams  in  which 
jade  is  found,  and  Mount  Martai  in  Yarkand  also  furnishes  much  of 
it  During  the  reign  of  Kienlung  many  thousand  pounds  of  it  were 
brought  in,  from  which  musical  instruments  were  made,  but  in  con- 
sequence of  the  high  resident  Kau  Puh  secretly  selling  them  through 
traders,  a  Tsahlun  (guard?)  was  placed  on  the  Martai  Mountains  to 
prevent  people  getting  out  the  jade.  In  1799,  the  Tsahlun  was  spe- 
cially ordered  to  allow  the  people  to  purchase  whatever  jade  was 
obtained  over  the  customary  tribute. 


SCHEMES    OF    THE    CURRENCY    DOCTORS.  209 

"  There  were  three  sorts  of  jade  obtained  at  that  time  from  the 
Martai  Mountaio,  of  which  the  best  was  a  clear  green,  the  second  a 
leek  green,  and  the  third  white ;  the  quantity  of  each  furnished  being 
respectively  10,000,  8,000,  and  3,000  catties,  all  of  which  was  trans- 
ported as  far  as  the  Canton  of  Hbarashar  with  so  great  difficulty,  that 
it  was  ordered  to  be  left  there,  and,  I  have  heard,  is  still  at  the  post 
of  Ushakchala,  230  If  northeast  of  the  town  of  Hharashar. 

''  It  is  my  opinion,  that  as  your  majesty's  virtuous  qualities  in- 
fluence the  national  mind,  the  empire  will  not  require  works  of  art 
and  value ;  but  in  these  times  of  straitening  in  the  exchequer,  to 
have  property  cast  away  as  useless,  and  not  made  of  service,  is  ex- 
ceedingly  to  be  regretted  ;  and  it  is  requested  that  your  majesty  will 
ispue  orders  to  the  resident  of  Hharashar  that  the  three  sorts  of  jade 
remaining  there  be  sent  on  to  Peking  in  suitable  lots,  and  that  that, 
which  the  mountains  and  streams  produce,  be  estimated,  and  all  made 
into  certain  shapes  for  circulation  and  use  among  the  people. 

"  Officers  of  government  can  receive  these  pieces  both  for  their 
salary  and  for  the  duties,  and  issue  them ;  while  the  people  can  pay 
them  for  taxes,  like  money,  each  according  to  their  value,  all  kinds 
being  received  and  paid  out  by  all  classes  according  to  a  set  valua- 
tion. The  colors  of  the  different  qualities  must  also  be  carefully 
distinguished,  and  Chinese  and  Manchu  characters  be  engraved  on 
them.  They  will  thus  form  a  trustworthy  evidence  [of  property] 
for  people,  who  will  neither  be  subject  to  loss  from  rotting,  to  be 
swindled  from  taking  forged  pieces,  nor  bo  injured  by  their 
wastage. 

"Moreover,  these  money  counters  will,  of  course,  be  received,  I 
think,  among  the  people ;  and  be  a  source  of  much  profit  to  the 
government,  too.  Then,  the  people  will  be  fully  supplied,  affairs  will 
not  be  impeded,  nor  public  and  private  dealings  so  embarrassed. 
The  value  of  silver  will  gradually  be  equalized,  and  the  deterioration 
of  cash  also  remedied  by  degrees ;  while  jade,  which  is  now  useless, 
will  become  valuable.  If  we  compare  the  merits  and  demerits  of 
this  plan  with  that  of  issuing  bills,  it  is  certainly  easier  in  execution, 
and  the  country  will  put  more  trust  in  it. 

'•Your  servant  is  little  conversant  with  affairs  of  the  world,  and 
hardly  dares  to  venture  thus  to  intrude  his  crude  ideas  how  to  benefit 
the  empire  ;  but  still  he  wishes  that  they  may  be  considered  as  to 


210  TAI-PING-WANG. 

their  practicability,  for  even  a  fool  may  have  one  useful  notion.    A 
carefully  prepared  memorial.'' 

Another  very  remarkable  financial  project,  sub- 
mitted to  the  government,  and  published  in  the  offi- 
cial gazette,  was  to  coin  iron  money  ;  and  was  as 
follows  : 

"  Ha-fun,  the  governor  of  Shau-se,  memorializes  the  emperor  to 
the  following  effect : 

"  The  rebellion  being  yet  unsubdued,  and  the  requirements  of  the 
army  being  very  great,  something  must  be  done  towards  supplying 
the  one,  in  order  to  repress  the  other.  I  have  been  thinking  that 
the  unusual  circumstances  in  which  we  are  placed  require  the  adop- 
tion of  extraordinary  measures,  and  nothing  appears  to  me  more 
suitable  than  the  alteration  of  the  coinage  ;  which.  I  conceive,  will 
be  attended  with  the  four  following  advantages,  now  submitted  to 
the  imperial  con-'idcration : 

"First,  It  will  relieve  the  necessities  of  the  army.  It  appears 
that  several  of  the  provinces  produce  iron,  where  it  is  as  plentiful 
as  stones,  and  only  a  few  cash  a  catty  ;  so  that  capital  laid  out  in 
this  article  would  soon  be  returned  many-fold.  Let  the  boards  of 
revenue  and  of  works  cease  from  coining  copper  cash,  but  proceed 
immediately  to  manufacture  a  great  quantity  of  iron  cash  ;  and  let 
two  thousand  iron  cash  be  considered  equal  to  one  tael  of  silver,  in 
the  payment  of  oflScial  salaries,  and  in  the  support  of  such  troops  as 
remain  in  the  capital ;  and  let  the  silver  that  is  received  by  govern- 
ment be  all  employed  for  the  support  of  the  army  engaged  in  actual 
service,  which  will  thus  be  well  supplied.  Further,  in  those  pro- 
vinces which  produce  iron,  let  a  large  amount  of  iron  cash  be  coined, 
and  when  these  are  partly  employed  in  the  payment  of  official  sala- 
ries, and  the  wages  of  the  militia,  the  surplus  silver  sent  up  to  the 
capital  will  be  abundant ;  with  which  the  necessities  of  the  army  in 
the  field  may  be  amply  supplied.  It  appears  to  me  that  if  the  email 
copper  cash  which  are  clandestinely  coined  can  be  brought  into  cir- 
culation, the  government  coinage  of  iron  cash  ought  to  be  more 
readily  taken  in  commerce. 


SCHEMES    OF    THE    CURRENCY    DOCTORS.  211 

'•Secondly,  A  paper  currency  will,  by  this  means,  be  promoted. 
It  appears  that  the  merchants  of  every  province,  when  they  dispose 
of  their  goods,  invariably  exchange  copper  for  silver,  for  the  con- 
yenience  of  transport.  Should,  then,  an  iron  coinage  be  brought  into 
circulation,  the  price  of  silver  will  rise.  But  if  the  people  of  the 
outside  provinces  should  exchange  their  iron  cash  for  bills  on  some 
government  banker,  in  order  to  convey  the  amount  easily  to  the 
capital,  paying,  at  the  same  time,  one  per  cent,  for  the  accommoda- 
tion, then  the  merchants,  considering  this  still  more  convenient  than 
the  transmission  of  silver,  would  purchase  paper,  and  the  iron  cash 
would  remain  in  circulation  in  the  outside  provinces. 

"  Thirdly,  The  price  of  silver  would  be  reduced.  It  seems  that 
silver  rises  in  price  because  merchants  are  desirous  of  taking  it  back 
with  them  in  return  for  produce  disposed  of;  but  when  paper  money 
gets  into  circulation,  it  is  preferred  to  silver,  for  the  convenience  of 
carriage,  and  silver  falls. 

*'  Now,  when  the  iron  coinage  is  first  introduced,  silver  will  rise  ; 
but  when  merchants  want  to  exchange  their  money  for  paper,  in 
order  to  convey  it  to  a  distance,  then  silver  will  fall  again. 

'•There  will  be  some  difficulty,  however,  about  getting  the  iron 
currency  into  circulation,  and  care  must  be  taken  lest  gain-seeking 
scoundrels  should  turn  to,  and  coin  on  their  own  account. 

"Fourthly,  Should  the  coinage,  now  recommended,  be  adopted, 
there  will  be  less  chances  of  deficiencies  in  the  salt-gabelle,  as  well 
as  in  the  amount  of  duties  collected  at  the  barriers,  also  in  the  land 
revenue  and  the  capitation-tax.  In  collecting  these  taxes,  the 
officers  generally  receive  copper,  and  pay  in  silver,  or  they  collect 
rice,  and  turn  it  into  money  ;  and  ever  since  the  price  of  silver  has 
risen  so  enormously,  the  collectors  of  the  above-named  revenues 
have  always  been  deficient  in  their  accounts.  But  if  silver  falls  in 
price,  such  deficiencies  will  cease. 

"The  above  Jour  advantages,  to  be  derived  from  an  iron  coinage, 
are  humbly  submitted  to  his  imperial  majesty's  consideration. 
"  The  emperor  says,  *  Let  it  be  recorded.'  " 


XXXVI. 

HE   UASCHE8   NORTHWARD. 

Tai-ping-wang  now  resolved  to  set  his  face 
northward.  For  two  years  he  had  prudently  con- 
fined his  operations  almost  entirely  to  Kwang-si, 
passing  from  district  to  district,  as  was  most  con- 
venient for  the  raising  of  supplies,  and  gradually 
augmenting  the  number  of  his  followers.  Now  he 
felt  sufficiently  strong  to  change  his  tactics,  and  ad- 
vance into  the  heart  of  the  empire. 

His  way  led  through  the  rich  province  of  Hu-nan 
to  the  Yang-tsze-kiang,  and  thence,  down  its  rapid 
current,  to  Nanking,  the  ancient  capital  of  the  Mings. 
The  first  step  to  be  taken,  accordingly,  was  to  gain 
the  river ;  towards  which,  after  a  residence  of  nearly 
eight  months  in  Yung-gnan,  he  took  up  his  line  of 
march. 

During  this  delay,  Siu,  gradually  gaining  courage, 
had  moved  his  tents  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  city. 
Sai-shang-ah  had  done  the  same  ;  being  supported 


HE    MARCHES    NORTHWARD.  313 

Dy  general  Heang-yung,  who  had  recently  been 
banished  to  Tarkestan,  but  recalled  before  he  had 
taken  the  first  step  on  his  journey ;  while  Siu,  on 
his  part,  had  the  valuable  assistance  of  governor 
Chow-t'heen-tseoh,  of  Kwang-tung,  who,  on  report- 
ing the  death  of  the  imperial  commissioner  Li,  had 
concentrated  some  little  attention  on  himself  by  in- 
forming the  government  that  he  "  was  suffering  from 
an  attack  of  bleeding  at  the  nose."  These  two 
captains,  with  their  redoubtable  lieutenants,  had 
been  hanging  about  the  neighborhood  of  Yung-gnan 
for  several  months,  hoping  to  make  sufficient  noise 
to  frighten  the  insurgents  out  the  city,  and  then, 
entering  it  themselves,  send  the  news  of  a  great  vic- 
tory to  Peking,  to  be  duly  heralded  in  the  Royal 
Gazette.  Their  patience  was  put  to  a  pretty  severe 
test ;  but  it  was  finally  rewarded,  the  imperialists 
marching  into  one  gate  as  the  foe  marched  out  of  the 
other. 

The  insurgents,  continuing  their  march,  entered 
the  province  of  Hu-napj  and  were  followed,  at  a 
very  respectful  distance,  by  the  imperialists.  In  the 
month  of  June,  1S52,  they  reached  Taou-chow, 
wh;ch  was  the  first  city  of  consequence  taken  by 
them  after  crossing  the  frontier ;  in  the  course  of  the 
summer,  they  reduced  to  subjection  the  principal 
towns  in  the  southern  division  of  the  province  ;  and. 


214  TAI-PING-WANG. 

in  September,  they  laid  siege  to  its  strongly-walled 
capital,  Chang-sha. 

This  city  is  reputed  to  be  older  than  the  Christian 
era,  and  is  a  place  of  no  little  commercial  importance. 
It  is  situated  on  a  tributary  of  the  Yang-tsze-kiang, 
called  the  Siang,  the  clear  blue  waters  of  which  wash 
the  foundations  of  its  walls,  on  one  side,  and  reflect  on 
their  glassy  surface  its  long  line  of  battlements.  On 
the  other,  richly  wooded  hills  rise  rapidly  to  moun- 
tains, and  terminate  in  peaks  black  with  basalt. 
Thus,  the  place  is  strong  in  its  natural  position,  as 
well  as  from  its  fortifications  ;  and  the  good  citizens, 
believing  themselves  secure  from  attack,  were  cele- 
brating on  the  river  their  annual  fete  of  boats,  when 
it  was  announced  that  a  column  of  the  insurgent 
army  was  marching  on  the  town. 

For  eighty  days  a  strong  detachment  of  the  in- 
surgents sat  patiently  before  the  walls,  which,  like 
those  of  the  capital  of  Kwang-si,  were  destined  to 
withstand  all  their  attacks.  The  fighting  was  not, 
indeed,  very  serious.  The  besiegers  contented  them- 
selves with  carrying  a  mine  under  an  angle  of  the 
walls,  and  burning,  from  time  to  time,  a  little  weak 
powder,  more  for  the  sake  of  making  a  noise  than 
from  expecting  to  do  any  considerable  damage  to  the 
fortifications.  Parleys  were  frequently  held  from 
the  battlements  with  the  enemy  outside  ;  when  the 


HE    MARCHES    NORTHWARD.  215 

latter,  striking  their  sword-blades  together  with 
menacing  clangor,  would  challenge  the  besieged  to 
come  out  and  try  their  strength  in  a  fair  field  ;  or, 
they  would  let  off  great  numbers  of  fire-crackers  in 
derision  ;  and,  with  indecent  words  and  gestures, 
make  themselves  merry  at  the  expense  of  the  other 
party.  There  was,  indeed,  no  loss  of  valor,  and  lit- 
tle of  life  on  either  side.  The  imperialists  much 
preferred  smoking,  drinking  tea,  and  playing  chess, 
to  sallying  out  to  attack  the  outsiders ;  and  these, 
after  having  succeeded  in  undermining  and  blowing 
up  a  portion  of  the  walls,  were  twice  prevented 
from  making  an  assault  by  violent  showers  of  rain, 
which  went  through  their  cartouche-boxes,  and 
effectually  dampened  both  powder  and  spirits.  Af- 
terwards, the  breach  having  been  found  to  be 
unfavorable  for  taking  the  place  by  storm,  and  the 
supplies  having,  for  some  time,  come  in  less  abund- 
antly from  the  surrounding  country,  the  besiegers, 
striking  their  tents,  passed  on  to  easier  conquests, 
and  better-filled  granaries. 

Meanwhile,  Siu  and  Sai-shang-ah,  profiting  by 
the  delay  of  the  insurgents  in  central  Hu-nan,  suc- 
ceeded in  coming  up  with  them  about  the  time  they 
raised  the  siege  of  Chang-sha,  and,  therefore,  just 
in  season  to  claim  that  voluntary  withdrawal  of 
forces  as  a  general  rout  of  the  enemy,   with  loss 


910  TAl-PING-WANG 

of  guns  and  prisoners,  besides  hundreds  who,  in 
their  flight,  fell  over  precipices,  and  as  many  more 
drowned  by  tumbling  into  the  canals.  The  fact 
was,  however,  that,  excepting  the  honors  won  by 
defending  the  capital  against  the  petards  let  off  un- 
der the  walls  during  the  eighty  days'  siege,  the 
imperialists  won  not  a  single  laurel  throughout  the 
campaign. 

On  the  contrary,  they  showed  a  marked  reluc- 
tance to  meet  the  enemy.  When  they  arrived  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Hung-chau,  Tai-ping-wang  wrote 
to  Siu  a  "  letter  of  battle,"  informing  him  that  he 
was  then  resting  his  army,  but  that,  in  the  third 
moon  of  the  coming  year,  he  should  be  ready  to 
fight  him.  This  expression  of  contempt  put  the 
imperial  commissioner  into  a  towering  rage,  and  he 
at  once  returned  the  following  pithy  answer :  **  We 
are  the  celestial  army,  who  have  received  orders 
from  his  sacred  majesty  to  execute  you  rebels.  We 
have  come  to  execute,  not  to  do  battle  with  you." 
And  when  he  had  sent  off  this  message,  he  imme- 
diately dispatched  couriers  to  the  governors  of  the 
adjacent  provinces,  commanding  them  to  keep  up  a 
good  watch  at  their  respective  stations ;  and  then, 
getting  into  his  sedan,  fell  back  at  the  head  of  his 
forces  until  he  had  put  an  additional  day's  march 
between  himself  and  the  enemy. 


HE    MARCHES    NORTHWARD.  217 

It  being,  at  this  period  of  his  career,  no  part  of 
the  policy  of  Tai-ping-wang  to  hold  possession  of 
the  cities  which  he  captured,  but  simply  to  press 
forward  with  a  constantly  increasing  volume  of 
forces  towards  the  capital  of  the  country,  and  the 
seat  of  the  Tartar  dominion,  it  was  a  matter  of  little 
consequence  to  pass  by  Chang-sha  without  taking 
it.  His  aim  was  to  strike  the  Yang-tsze-kiang, 
and  get  control  of  the  immense  commerce  which  is 
floated  from  a  thousand  tributaries  down  this  truly 
inland  sea  to  the  ocean,  and  thence  back  to  their 
sources.  Therefore,  he  pushed  on  northward, 
and,  before  the  close  of  the  year,  having  laid 
under  contribution  all  the  towns  on  the  line  of 
his  march,  he  arrived  on  the  banks  of  the  Yang- 
tsze-kiang,  and  established  his  headquarters  in  Yoh- 
chau. 

In  this  city,  which  is  situated  at  the  point  of 
junction  between  that  river  and  the  great  lake 
of  Tung-ting,  the  insurgents  found  an  abundance 
of  stores  •of  all  sorts,  amounting,  it  was  estimated, 
at  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  thousand  taels  in 
value ;  and,  after  having  taken  possession  of  both 
sides  of  the  river,  they  laid  tolls  upon  its  com- 
merce, which  soon  filled  their  coffers  to  overflow- 
ing.    Their  chief  now  felt  that  the  success  of  his 

plans  of  conquest  was  certain,  and  put  up  before 
10 


218  TAI-PING-WANa. 

his  headquarters  the  following  couplet,  in  letters 
of  red : 

The  Tiger,  hastening  with  his  three  thousand  braves,  will  tread  in 

the  mire  the  secluded  land  of  Yen  ; 
The  dragon,  flying  to  the  emperor's  seat,  will  again  reyive  the  days 

of  Yan  and  Shun. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  imperialists  were  over- 
whelmed with  both  indignation  and  terror.  The 
road  through  the  centre  of  the  empire  was  now 
open  to  the  rebels ;  and  one  more  such  campaign 
would  bring  the  "  Kwang-si  riffraff,"  before  the 
walls  'of  Nanking,  if  not  of  Peking  itself.  It  was, 
therefore,  necessary  to  assume  some  appearance  of 
vigorous  proceeding,  in  order  to  cloak  the  extent 
of  their  apprehensions.  Luh-keen-ying  threatened 
to  sail  immediately  up  the  river  with  all  the  forces 
of  the  province,  in  order  to  exterminate  the  enemy ; 
the  governors  of  the  adjacent  provinces,  and  the 
magistrates  of  the  principal  towns  on  the  river,  ex- 
pressed their  readiness  to  cooperate  with  the  vice- 
roy ;  and,  in  the  more  exposed  districts,  the  man- 
darins were  instructed  to  issue  proclamations  to 
pacify  the  people.  But  Sai-shang-ah,  on  the  other 
hand,  was  recalled  from  the  field  for  **  letting  the 
rebels  do  just  as  they  liked;"  and  Siu,  who  had 
been  appointed  viceroy  of  the  two  Hu  provinces, 
was  deprived  of  his  rank,  for  "  lagging  too  far  behind 


HE    MARCHES    NORTHWARD.  219 

the  enemy,"  though  he  was  retained  in  office,  that 
he  might  have  a  chance  of  redeeming  his  reputa- 
tion. 

These  measures,  both  positive  and  negative,  hav- 
ing been  taken,  the  imperialists  were  enabled,  for  a 
time,  to  eat  and  sleep  again,  as  was  their  wont. 


XXXVIL 

DESCENT  OP   THE  YANQ-TSZE-KlANa. 

When,  indeed,  the  emperor  was  told  that  the 
buffaloes  of  the  insurgents  were  drinking  the  water 
of  the  Yang-tsze-kiang,  he  trembled  in  his  palace, 
like  Belshazzar,  when  he  read  the  hand-writing  on 
the  wall.*  And  well  he  might  For  this  river  of 
the  golden  sands  runs  through  the  centre  of  the 
empire,  a  course  of  full  three  thousand  miles.  Be- 
tween the  mountains  of  KokonOr  and  the  Yellow 
sea,  lakes,  whose  broad  expanse  covers,  in  one 
instance,  an  area  of  three  hundred  square  miles,  and 
rivers,  one  of  which  traverses  a  distance  of  more 
than  as  many  hundred  leagues,  pour  their  multitude 
of  waters  tributary  into  this  noblest  of  the  sons  of 
the  ocean.  Millions  of  people  dwell  on  its  banks  ; 
and  myriads  of  water-craft  bear  their  products  of 
rice  and  tea,  of  silks  and  cottons,  of  woods  and  por- 

•  Note  G,  Appendix. 


DESCENT    OF    THE    YANG-TSZE-KIANG.  221 

celains,  from  mart  to  mart.  The  traveler,  sailing 
down  between  banks  on  which,  alternately,  weeps 
the  willow  and  waves  the  bamboo,  as  he  loses  sight 
of  the  forests  of  masts  of  one  city,  beholds  before 
him,  in  the  distance,  the  pagodas  of  another.  Nor 
do  the  almost  continuous  towns  and  villages,  on 
either  side,  suffice  to  furnish  habitations  for  all  the 
swarming  population  ;  but  he  sees  the  class  of  fish- 
ermen living  in  the  air,  being  perched  on  scaffoldings, 
and  multitudes  passing  their  lives  afloat  on  junks  and 
flower-boats.  Canal  and  river*  hill  and  dale,  plain 
and  mountain-side,  all  teem  with  human  life,  con- 
stantly multiplying  itself;  fur  the  soil  of  the  great 
valley  is  rich  ;  the  climate  is  temperate  ;  the  in- 
habitants labor  with  an  industry  which,  as  it  is 
attended  with  no  disgrace,  so  it  knows  no  rest ;  and 
tens  and  hundreds  of  years  of  culture,  thoroughly 
subduing  the  face  of  nature,  have  made  it  to  bring 
forth  its  increase  many-fold,  and,  like  the  wilder- 
ness of  the  prophet,  to  bud  and  blossom  as  the  rose. 
The  point  first  reached  by  the  insurgents  on  this 
"  girdle  of  China,"  was  Yoh-chau,  and,  before  the 
end  of  the  winter  of  1852-3,  proceeding  down  the 
stream,  they  were  masters  of  the  great  cities  of 
Han-yang  and  Wu-chang,  in  the  province  of  Hu- 
pe.  These  are  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Yang- 
tsze-kiang,  and  in  such  close  proximity  as  to  render 


222  TAI-PING-WANG. 

this  region  not  only  superior,  in  point  of  population, 
to  any  part  of  China,  but  equal  to  the  greatest  em- 
poriums of  the  world.  The  river,  which,  up  to  this 
point,  is  navigable  for  the  largest  vessels,  is  one  im- 
mense mart,  covered  with  junks,  whose  flags  and 
ribbons  fill  the  air  like  flocks  of  gayly-plumed 
birds,  and  whose  decks  are  piled  up  with  merchan- 
dise, both  native  and  foreign,  borne  from  one  end  of 
the  empire  to  the  other.  The  booty  of  the  insur- 
gents, therefore,  was  immense.  The  coffers  of  Tai- 
piiig-wang  were  so  heavy  with  taels,  that  his 
troops  were  paid  with  both  a  punctuality  and  a 
liberality  unknown  before  in  China ;  and  it  became 
no  uncommon  sight  to  behold  the  commonest 
soldiers  dressed  in  silks  and  satins,  their  jackets 
gorgeous  with  red  or  yellow,  and  their  caps  vieing, 
save  in  button  and  feather,  with  those  of  the  proud- 
est mandarins  of  the  land.  Tliis  abundance  of  pro- 
visions, clothing,  and  treasure,  raised  by  contribu- 
tions imposed  on  the  conquered  cities,  and  by  the 
confiscation  of  all  public  stores  and  property,  made 
the  progress  of  the  insurgent  host  down  the  stream 
resemble  the  triumplial  return  home  of  the  Roman 
armies,  laden  with  the  plunder  of  the  provinces  and 
great  cities  of  the  East. 

Only  at  Wu-chang  was  there  any  serious  show  of 
resistance.     There,  the  contest  was  for  a  short  time 


DESCENT    OF    THE    YANG-TSZE-KIANG.  223 

Violent ;  and  when  the  insurgents  succeeded  in  en- 
tering the  town,  sword-in-hand,  they  made  the 
streets  run  red  with  the  blood,  not  only  of  the  de- 
feated soldiery,  but  of  men,  women,  and  children, 
giving,  for  a  time,  no  quarter,  and  piling  up  heads 
in  the  streets  like  stacks  in  a  harvest-field. 

Meanwhile,  the  imperialists  were  lagging  far  be- 
hind, following,  not  pursuing  the  enemy.  Siu,  in- 
tent only  on  picking  up  the  crumbs  which  Tai-ping- 
wang  had  left  under  his  tables,  proved  a  greater 
scourge  to  the  cities  he  entered  than  even  the  in- 
surgents who  had  preceded  him.  His  troops  pil- 
laged where  they  arrived  too  late  to  defend.  Most 
of  the  larger  places,  therefore,  in  which  insurgent 
garrisons  had  been  left,  refused  to  open  their  gates 
to  the  representative  of  the  emperor,  so  that  he 
was  compelled  to  get  such  scanty  supplies  as  he 
could  from  the  smaller  towns  and  villages.  Barely 
was  he  able  to  maintain  his  own  forces,  much  less 
to  check  the  foe.* 

When,  then,  the  emperor  heard  of  the  capture  of  his 
rich  cities  in  the  two  Hus,  he  issued  a  decree,  where- 
in he  reasoned  and  ordered  after  this  fashion :  *'  If  we 
put  to  death  commissioner  Siu,  and  general  Heang- 
yung,   we  should  only  extricate  them  from   their 

*  Note  H,  Appendix. 


224  TAI-PING-WAXG. 

difficulties;  therefore,  while  we  deprive  Siu  of  the 
dignity  of  governor-general,  and  of  the  peacock's 
feather  with  two  eyes,  we  allow  him  to  retain  office 
as  high  commissioner,  and  provisionary  governor 
of  the  Kwangs.  General  Heang-yung  is  degraded  ; 
but  he  will  be  allowed  to  fulfill  his  duties  till  he 
has  given  signs  of  improvement." 

Afterwards,  Hien-fung  not  only  stript  Siu  of  his 
feathers  and  buttons,  but  ordered  him  up  to  Peking 
to  be  beheaded  in  the  following  autumn.  Where- 
upon, the  famous  exterminator  of  the  *'  Kwang- 
si  pirates"  disappeared ;  and  a  report  was  spread 
abroad  that  he  had  poisoned  himself  by  swallowing 
gold-leaf — show'ing  the  ruling  passion  of  a  mandarin 
strong  in  death.  Alas!  for  him,  that  he  should  ever 
have  taken  the  field ;  for  he  had  previously  earned 
the  reputation  of  being  an  able  minister ;  and  had 
he  remained  in  the  cabinet,  would,  no  doubt,  have 
died  with  his  cap  on,  in  full  feather  and  button. 
But  the  viceroy  of  the  Kwangs  was  never  intended 
by  nature  for  a  soldier,  and  the  moment  he  donned 
the  military  jacket,  it  made  a  harlequin  of  him. 

Meanwhile,  seeing  the  exposed  condition  of  Nan- 
king, the  emperor  was  unsparing  in  his  use  of  edicts, 
directed  to  the  high  officers  of  the  province  of  Kieng- 
nan,  and  others  adjoining  it,  summoning  them  to  the 
defense  of  the  ancient  capital  of  the  empire.     Re- 


DESCENT    OB"    THE    YANG-TSZE-KIANG.  225 

newed  and  still  more  urgent  commands,  too,  were 
forwarded  to  Lu-keen-ying,  viceroy  of  the  Kiangs, 
that  he  should  proceed  up  the  river,  and  destroy  the 
fleet  of  the  descending  enemy. 

Lu-keen-ying,  accordingly,  weighing  anchor,  sent 
forward  word  to  Tai-ping-wang,  that  he  was  on  his 
way  to  destroy  him;  and  earnestly  advised  him  to 
disperse  his  forces — to  retreat — to  fly — to  "take 
himself  clean  away."  To  all  of  which  information 
and  advice,  Tai-ping-wang  returned  the  reply,  that 
he  would  "cut  off  the  head  of  every  imp  of  a  Tartar 
who  should  dare  show  it,  and  would  bury  his  body 
in  the  bellies  of  the  fish  of  the  Yang-tsze-kiang." 

So,  the  insurgent  chief  kept  on  his  course ;  cap- 
turing Kwang-chau,  Kiu-kiang,  Ngau-king,  Chi- 
chau,  Woo-poo,  Tai-ping,  and  many  other  important 
towns  on  the  river,  and  its  tributary  waters  ;  never 
getting  sight  of  the  retreating  viceroy  Lu,  who  had 
been  commanded  to  arrest  his  progress;  and,  finally, 
descending  the  lower  Yang-tsze-kiang  with  a  force 
constantly  increasing,  and,  like  unto  that  of  the 
river  itself,  when,  in  the  time  of  floods,  it  rises  to 

scourge  the  land. 
10* 


XXXVIII 


NANKING. 


On  the  twenty-fifth  of  February,  the  viceroy,  Lu- 
keen-ying,  who,  a  short  time  before,  had  gone  up  the 
river  with  his  vessels  of  war,  to  blow  the  junks  of 
the  rebels  out  of  the  water,  suddenly  reappeared 
in  Nanking.  He  returned  by  a  single  boat,  in  the 
middle  of  the  night;  and,  shutting  himself  up  in  his 
palace,  took  three  days  to  recover  from  the  fright 
he  had  received  in  a  skirmish  of  his  advanced  guard 
with  the  enemy  at  Woo-heue.  His  attendants  gave 
out  that  Tai-ping-wang,  with  his  Meautz',  was  com- 
ing down  the  river  like  a  typhoon  ;  and  that  he  had 
sworn,  with  an  oath,  that  he  would  not  eat  his 
breakfast  until  he  had  driven  the  Tartars  out  of  the 
city  of  the  Mings.  All  this  filled  the  peaceable 
burghers  with  consternation.  It  was  in  vain  that 
a  dispatch  had  been  sent  to  Peking,  at  the  rate  of 
six  hundred  le  a  day,  requesting  that  generals 
Heang-fung  and  Ke-shen  should  be  directed  to  ex- 


NANKING.  227 

terminate  the  rebels ;  in  vain  that  the  walls^of  the 
city  had  recently  been  repaired ;  that  cannon  had 
been  planted  on  them  at  intervals ;  that  soldiers  had 
been  enlisted  ;  ammunition  collected  together ;  and 
proclamations  upon  proclamations  issued  to  pacify 
the  people.  The  people  were  frightened.  They, 
therefore,  took  to  flight,  carrying  what  valuables 
they  could  with  them  to  the  country.  And  when 
the  viceroy  and  the  lieutenant-governor  saw  that 
the  people  would  run  away,  spite  of  proclamations, 
they  followed  them.  "  They  ran  like  mice  in  differ- 
ent directions."  What  became  of  Lu-keen-ying  is 
not  known,  though  it  was  currently  reported  that 
he  committed  suicide.  But  the  lieutenant-gov- 
ernor, Yung-wan-ting,  suddenly  discovered  that 
the  important  city  of  Chin-kiang-fu,  situated  some 
forty  miles  lower  down  the  river,  was  in  extreme 
danger  of  an  attack  from  the  insurgents,  and  that 
his  presence  alone,  in  all  probability,  would  save  it 
from  being  captured.  He,  therefore,  set  off*  for  that 
city,  notwithstanding  "  the  treasurer,  Ke,  and  his 
fellows,  strove  to  detain  him  with  tears." 

There  was  cause  for  alarm ;  for,  on  the  morning 
of  the  eighth  of  March,  the  watchman  on  the  walls 
of  Nanking  beheld  the  thousand  banners  of  the  in- 
surgent host  advancing  from  the  west.  He,  who 
had  been  a  poor,  rustic    schoolmaster,   who    had 


228  TAI-PING-WAXG. 

been  stript  by  thieves  while  traveling  on  foot  to 
preach  his  new  doctrines  in  a  distant  province,  who 
had  spent  years  in  laboriously  gathering  together  a 
small  band  of  converts  from  idolatry,  but  who  had 
led  that  little  company  of  believers  out  of  the 
mountains  of  Kwang-si  with  a  success  almost  re- 
sembling that  with  which  Moses  conducted  the 
children  of  I^ael  out  of  Egypt,  who  had  inspired 
his  followers — grown  to  be  an  army — with  one 
mind,  had  kept  them,  though  a  mingled  horde  of 
fanatics,  mountaineers,  and  outlaws,  subject  to  dis- 
cipline, had  led  them  to  victory  after  victory  over 
the  best  troops  of  the  empire,  taking  cities  by 
storm,  overrunning  provinces,  and  laying  under 
contribution  the  commerce  of  lakes  and  rivers, 
now  sat  down  before  the  walls  of  the  Southern 
capital  with  a  force  of  sixty  thousand  men,  and 
summoned  it  to  surrender  at  discretion  to  his 
arms. 

Nanking  is  situated,  at  a  distance  of  about  four 
miles  from  the  Yang-tsze-kiang,  on  a  plain  inter- 
sected by  canals,  and  nearly  surrounded  by  hills, 
partly  wooded,  and  partly  under  cultivation.  It 
was  for  a  short  period  the  seat  of  the  imperial  gov- 
ernment of  the  Mings,  and  was  long  the  most  cele- 
brated city  in  the  empire,  whether  for  its  extent, 
its  buildings,  its  manufactures,  its.  trade,  its  learn- 


NANKING.  5J29 

ing,  or  its  social  refinement.  The  remains  of  its 
ancient  walls  can  now  be  traced  for  a  distance  of 
thirty-five  miles;  and  the  modern  inclosure,  though 
much  circumscribed,  is  large  enough  to  contain  not 
only  about  half  a  million  of  inhabitants,  but  also 
extensive  spaces  occupied  by  cultivated  fields  and 
gardens,  or  overrun  by  woods,  or  left  desolate  with 
the  ruins  of  a  departed  magnificence.  Though 
fallen  from  its  height  of  prosperity,  its  manufac- 
tures of  satins  and  crapes,  of  fine  paper,  and  arti- 
ficial flowers,  are  still  celebrated  ;  while  the  fame  of 
its  nankeens  has  gone  round  the  world.  Twice  a 
year,  its  well-irrigated  plains  are  covered  witli 
crops ;  the  growth  of  vegetables  never  ceases  in 
its  gardens;  its  orchards  are  loaded  with  jujubes, 
pomegranates,  peaches,  and  many  strange  fruits,  as 
fair  to  the  eye,  as  luscious  to  the  taste ;  while  even 
its  canals  yield  in  abundance  the  edible  roots  and 
fruit  of  the  beautiful  nelumbium  and  the  slender 
stalks  of  the  ajprus  csculentus. 

Being  the  residence  of  a  viceroy  .over  two  pro- 
vinces, which  are  estimated  to  contain  a  population 
of  twenty-eight  millions,  Nanking  has  the  attrac- 
tions of  a  provincial  court  of  the  first  order.  A 
great  number  of  officials  are  gathered  together 
here;  the  concourse  of  artists  has  always  been 
large ;  and  men  of  letters,  attracted  by  the  literary 


230  TAI-PING-WANG. 

examinations,  or  by  the  extensive  libraries  and 
book-stores,  have  made  this  city  the  capital  of  the 
Chinese  republic  of  letters.  It  is,  indeed,  such  a 
congregation  not  only  of  men  of  science,  antiqua- 
ries, poets,  and  painters,  but  also  of  dancers,  jug- 
glers, and  courtezans,  as  is  nowhere  else  to  be  found 
in  the  kingdom. 

In  the  possession  of  all  that  which  constitutes 
the  elegance  and  luxury  of  Chinese  life,  Nanking 
vies  even  wath  the  far-famed  Su-chau,  respecting 
which  the  popular  proverb  runs  that,  "In  heaven 
there  is  a  paradise,  but  on  earth  there  is  a  Su-chau." 
The  shops,  which  line  the  four  broad,  clean,  and 
well-paved  avenues,  which  run  through  the  city, 
are  filled  with  silk,  linen,  and  cotton  fabrics,  with 
works  in  ivory,  wood,  and  iron,  with  lackered- 
ware,  with  porcelain,  and  whatever  is  most  per- 
fect in  Chinese  art  and  workmanship.  The  houses, 
though  generally  of  a  plain  exterior,  are  often 
wrought  internally  with  beautiful  woods  and  mar- 
bles, having  furniture  inlaid  with  ivory  and  mother- 
of-pearl,  being  decorated  with  paintings  and  vases, 
and  made  cheerful  by  court-yards,  arbors,  and  gar- 
dens. Through  the  canals,  shaded  by  the  bamboo 
and  perfumed  by  the  olive,  course  perpetually  thou- 
sands of  pleasure-boats ;  while  on  the  enchanting 
islands,  set,  like  a  string  of  pearls,  in  the  current 


NANKING.  231 

of  the  Yang-tsze-kiang  below  the  city,  are  hid  in 
flowery  groves  the  innumerable  villas  of  the  man- 
darios.  In  these  suburban  retreats,  life  is  said  to  be 
a  mere  song,  piped  to  on  a  reed ;  where  the  tobacco 
is  all  '*  old  man's  eyebrow"  ;  where  the  wine  is 
"  from  over  the  ocean" ;  where  the  opium-pipe  is 
proffered  to  the  lips  by  the  fair  hands  of  concu- 
bines from  Su-chau ;  and  where  everything  in  ex- 
istence, of  serious  moment  or  true  worth,  is  made  a 
jest  of,  and  banished,  like  the  unsuccessful  generals 
of  Hien-fung,  "  beyond  the  wall." 


XXXIX. 

THE    PORCELAIN    TOWEB. 

But  the  coming  of  Tai-ping-wang  scared  the  maa- 
darins  out  of  their  islands,  and  the  buyers  and  sellers 
from  the  shops  which  line  the  four  avenues  of  the  city. 
Nor  was  there  any  help  for  them  from  Peking. 
The  emperor  had,  indeed,  sent  for  his  Tartars  on 
the  banks  of  the  Amour,  the  once  valiant  troops 
of  the  "eight  banners,"  and  the  terror  of  the  black- 
haired  nation.  But  the  degenerate  sons  of  these 
ancient  hordes  now  took  two  days  of  rest  for  every 
one  of  motion  ;  and  their  general,  Fung-chen,  who 
marched  through  the  land  as  if  it  were  enemy's 
country,  laying  it  under  heavy  contributions,  eating 
like  a  locust,  demanding  horses  and  sedan-chairs  as 
loudly  as  if  his  army  had  not  a  leg  to  stand  upon, 
and  beginning  to  become  subject  to  sudden  indispo- 
sitions, attended  with  long  halts,  even  before  get- 
ting within  five  hundred  miles  of  the  face  of  an 
enemy,  had  already  had  his  honors  lowered  several 


THE    PORCELAIN    TOWER.  233 

pegs  since  he  started  from  Manchuria,  and  gave 
promise  of  being  rather  a  burden  to  the  country 
than  its  deliverance. 

Hien-fung*8  other  measures  were  equally  ineffect- 
ual. Perplexed  by  the  difficulties  of  his  situation, 
the  youthful  monarch  conceived  the  idea  that  it 
would  be  some  consolation  to  himself,  and  of  great 
benefit  to  the  State,  for  him  to  share  his  throne 
with  one  of  his  prettiest  wives.  Therefore,  not 
knowing,  apparently,  what  else  to  do,  he  took  the 
extraordinary  step  of  making  an  empress  of  Niu- 
lu-ku  ;  declaring  her  to  be  an  excellent  lady,  well- 
"born,  amiable,  dutiful,  frugal,  and  *'  willing  to  wash 
fine  linen,  and  even  coarse,  with  her  own  hands." 
He  set  her  over  all  the  ladies  of  the  **8ix  pavil- 
ions;" appointed  her  to  aid  and  comfort  him  in 
the  perfumed  apartments  of  the  palace  of  the 
Nenuphars ;  ordered  her  to  be  saluted  empress 
with  the  usual  genuflexions,  and  knockings  of  the 
forehead  three  times  on  the  ground ;  and  by  pro- 
clamation respectfully  communicated  a  knowledge 
of  the  event  to  heaven,  earth,  the  manes  of  his 
ancestors,  and  the  tutelary  spirits  of  the  land,  and 
of  the  harvests. 

Hien-fung,  also,  going  on  his  knees  before  "August 
Heaven,"  with  fastings,  continued  through  the  twelve 
hours  of  a  night,  entreated  that  the  land  might  have 


234  TAI-PIXG-WAXG. 

peace;  and  printing  his  prayers  on  yellow  paper, 
caused  them  to  be  distributed  among  the  people. 
At  the  same  time,  he  added  an  exhortation  that  all 
men  should  supplicate  the  goddess  Kouan-in  "  to 
hurry  up  the  grain  junks  to  Peking,  for  the  relief 
of  the  son  of  heaven." 

But  none  of  these  royal  doings  stopped  Tai-ping- 
wang  from  undermining  the  walls  of  Nanking.  On 
the  nineteenth  of  March,  a  breach,  twenty  or  thirty 
yards  wide,  was  eflected,  by  a  mine  sprung  near  the 
northern  angle  ;  and  the  insurgents,  mounting  it, 
spear  in  hand,  swept  away  what  little  resistance 
was  made,  and  took  possession  of  the  city.  The 
Tartar  population,  with  the  exception  of  about  one 
hundred  males,  and  nearly  four  hundred  females, 
who  escaped  with  their  lives,  were  put  to  the  sword, 
men,  women,  and  children,  in  all,  twenty  thousand 
souls.  Diligent  search  was  made  throughout  the 
city  for  this  hated  race,  so  that  there  was  not  left 
of  it  so  much  as  *'a  dog  or  a  fowl."  But  the  native 
population  was  spared.  Nor  were  the  buildings  of 
the  city  as  much  injured  as  those  of  many  other 
towns  previously  taken  by  stonn,  where  both  fire 
and  the  hatchet  had  aided  in  the  work  of  devasta- 
tion. 

The  far-famed  porcelain  tower,  however,  did  not 
altogether  escape  unharmed.     This  is  situated  with- 


<r^I-:5*^'» 


THE    PORCELAIN    TOWER.  235 

out  the  southern  wall  of  the  city ;  its  nine  stories 
rising  to  a  height  of  two  hundred  and  sixty-one 
feet;  its  gilded  and  gaudy  saloons  being  used  as 
Buddhist  shrines ;  its  exterior  being  cased  with  slabs 
of  glazed  porcelain,  white,  green,  red,  and  yellow ; 
the  projecting  roofs  of  its  different  stories  being 
covered  with  green  tiles,  and  hung  with  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-two  bells,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
eight  lamps ;  and  the  whole  structure  surmounted 
by  a  mast  thirty  feet  high,  which  is  surrounded  by 
an  immense  iron  coil,  having,  from  below,  the  ap- 
pearance of  rings,  and  is  topped  by  a  gilded  ball. 
The  visitor,  who  mounts  by  the  spiral  stairway  to 
the  summit,  beholds,  spread  out  before  him,  the 
city  with  its  walls,  and  empty  spaces,  the  winding 
river,  and  its  islands,  the  plains,  the  hills,  and  the 
mountains  on  a  distant  horizon  ;  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  foreign  pilot,  who,  for  the  first  time, 
threads  his  devious  way  up,  amid  the  shoals  and 
currents  of  the  lower  Yang-tsze-kiang,  has,  in  the 
glittering  tower,  a  beacon,  seen  from  almost  as  far 
as  is  the  white  peak  of  Mont  Blanc  by  the  voyager 
up  the  Rhone. 

The  tooth  of  time  has  gnawed  in  vain  upon  this 
beautiful  work  of  art  for  upwards  of  four  hundred 
years.  Its  polished  surfaces,  with  seams  almost  in- 
visible, repel  the  attacks  of  age  and  decay;  and 


236  TAI-PING^-WANG. 

what  the  envious  years  have  not  been  able  to  over- 
throw has  fortunately  withstood  the  rage  of  fanatic 
war,  and  the  trial  of  fire.  The  God- worshiping  con- 
querors could  only  burn  the  images  set  in  its  niches ; 
blackening,  with  their  fires,  the  interior  walls,  and 
leaving  the  ground  around  the  base  heaped  up  with 
the  fragments  of  the  idols;  but  the  fair  form  still 
stands,  externally  undefaced,  a  monument  of  ancient 
art,  and  not,  like  Melrose  Abbey,  for  instance,  of 
modern  fanaticism. 


XL. 

THE   EXPEDITION   AGAINST  PEKING. 

Tai-ping-wang  entered  Nanking  with  an  army 
estimated  to  contain  between  sixty  and  eighty  thou- 
sand men,  about  one-third  of  them  being  long- 
haired brethren,  or  warriors  who  had  come  from 
Kwang-si,  and  the  others  short-haired  brethren, 
who  had  joined  his  ranks  on  the  march.  This  was 
a  force  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  hold  possession  of 
the  southern  capital,  spite  of  all  attempts  of  the 
Manchus  to  dislodge  him,  but  still  not  great  enough 
to  justify  him  in  marching  on  Peking,  with  the  in- 
tention of  laying  seige  to  it. 

He,  therefore,  determined  not  to  run  the  risk  of  a 
further  general  advance,  but  to  establish  himself  in 
the  ancient  seat  of  empire,  and  cut  off  the  supplies 
of  grain  sent  to  the  northern  capital  by  the  way  of 
the  grand  canal.  This  was,  in  fact,  apian  for  starv- 
ing out  the  emperor ;  or,  at  least,  of  so  diminishing 
the  tribute  of  food  and  coin,  annually  sent  to  Peking, 


238  TAI-PING-WANG. 

as  greatly  to  reduce  the  imperial  resources,  impair 
the  general  prosperity  of  that  portion  of  the  empire, 
and,  thereby,  produce  such  popular  dissatisfaction 
with  the  foreign  dynasty,  as  to  aid  in  its  overthrow. 
To  carry  out  this  plan  of  besieging  Peking  by 
stopping  its  supplies,  it  was  necessary  to  take  pos- 
session of  the  large  city  of  Chin-kiang-fu,  situated 
below  Nanking,  at  the  point  where  the  grand  canal 
is  connected  with  the  Yang-tsze-kiang.  This  place 
was  under  the  protection  of  Yung-wan-ting,  the  lieu- 
tenant-governor of  the  province,  who  had  so  suddenly 
gone  to  its  defense  from  Nanking,  when  the  latter 
place  was  threatened  by  the  insurgents,  and  who 
now,  on  learning  their  intention  of  paying  him  a  visit, 
became  equally  solicitous  for  the  safety  of  Keang- 
yin,  a  town  forty  miles  further  eastward,  to  which 
he  straightway  hastened.  When,  then,  the  detach- 
ment, sent  from  Nanking  to  seize  Chin-kiang-fu,  ar- 
rived there,  its  defender  had  run  away,  its  garrison 
had  followed  his  example,  and  the  place,  including 
a  battery  of  three  miles  of  guns  along  the  river,  was 
taken  without  the  firing  of  a  shot.  The  possession 
of  this  point,  afterwards  still  more  strongly  fortified,* 
gave  the  insurgents  the  control  of  what  has  been 
well  called  the  alimentary  canal  of  the  empire.    No 

*  Compare  Ho.  of  Reps.  Doc,  No.  123,  XXXIIId  Congress,  1st 
Session,  p.  142. 


THE    EXPEDITION    AGAINST    PEKING.  239 

supplies  could  now  reach  Peking,  except  those  con- 
veyed from  the  southern  ports  by  sea,  and  these 
would  be  comparatively  small. 

At  the  same  time,  in  order  to  harass  the  imperial- 
ists, and  threaten  Peking,  it  was  determined  to  send 
considerable  forces  from  Nanking  to  the  North. 
These,  proceeding  by  the  great  western  causeway, 
crossed  the  Yellow  River  early  in  the  summer; 
**  trespassed  on  the  imperial  domain"  of  Pih-chih-le ; 
and,  in  the  latter  part  of  autumn,  advanced  within 
less  than  a  hundred  miles  of  Peking. 

It  was  in  vain  that  the  emperor  called  out  his 
Tsa-k'har  horse,  and  his  "  myriads"  of  Tartars, 
**  very  dapper  fellows,"  all ;  in  vain  that  he  rained 
manifestoes  on  the  land,  declaring  that  "  wherever 
the  celestial  lance  is  pointed,  it  will  not  be  difficult, 
with  a  single  roll  of  the  drum,  to  exterminate  the 
rebels ;"  in  vain  that  he  gave  orders  to  his  generals 
that,  when  they  defeated  the  long-haired  and  red- 
jacketed  thieves,  special  care  should  be  taken  that 
they  did  not  **  run  northward."  On  the  contrary, 
that  was  just  the  direction  in  which  they  always 
**  fled."  While  the  Tartar  general  was  "jabbering 
about  the  insufficiency  of  military  weapons,  horses, 
and  provender,  and  borrowing  pretexts,  from  the 
want  of  these,  to  excuse  his  running  away,  leaving 
all  his  pots  and  pans,  and  camp-equipage  behind," 


240  TAI-PIXG-WANG. 

the  "■  rampant  banditti"  were  constantly  pushing  on 
in  the  bad  direction  of  Peking.  "  Those  obstreper- 
ous fellows,'*  continued  the  emperor,  ''are  precipi- 
tate in  running  into  dangerous  defiles,  and  uncom- 
monly sudden  in  their  appearance  in  different  places, 
so  that  wherever  they  pass  both  soldiers  and  people 
are  flurried,  and  thrown  off  their  guard,  which  in- 
duces them  to  remove  from  their  abodes  in  the 
utmost  confusion,  and  involve  themselves  in  misery 
and  ruin."  Finally,  the  imperial  capital  itself  took 
the  alarm ;  and  both  officers  and  citizens  were  rep- 
resented, in  the  court  gazette,  as  being  '*  tumultu- 
ously  occupied"  in  removing,  with  bag  and  baggage, 
into-the  countr}\ 

Orders,  therefore,  were  given  for  immediately  re- 
pairing the  walls  of  the  city  ;  especially  was  it 
directed  that  every  man  should  put  his  lantern  in 
order ;  the  magistrates  were  cautioned  to  look  well 
at  the  tablets  on  the  doors  of  the  houses  ;  and  the 
military  commandant  was  instructed  to  consider 
whether  the  only  true  method  of  defending  the 
place  was  not  that  laid  down  in  a  certain  old  and 
long  forgotten  book,  published  in  the  time  of  the 
Ming  dynasty. 

Meanwhile,  as  affairs  went  badly,  numerous 
memorials  were  sent  in  to  the  government,  charg- 
ing both  the  officers  and  magistrates,  upon  whom 


THE    EXPEDITION    AGAINST    PEKING.  241 

fell  the  responsibility  of  exterminating  the  rebels, 
with  cowardice ;  and  praying  that  **  all  these 
fellows  be  brought  to  book."  Hien-fung  was  only 
too  much  disposed  to  grant  their  petitions.  He 
degraded  his  unsuccessful  servants  by  scores,  strip- 
ping them  of  feathers  and  buttons  without  mercy ; 
sent  them  into  Tartary,  to  be  put  to  hard  labor, 
though  allowing  them,  provisionally,  to  be  de- 
tained, in  order  to  assist  in  suppressing  the  re- 
bellion ;  and  deposing  the  viceroy  of  Pih-chih-le — 
which  was  the  third  viceroy  sacrificed  since  the 
commencement  of  the  insurrection — he  said  of  him, 
in  his  decree,  **  It  is  now  several  days  that  that 
man  has  made  no  report  of  himself,  and  I  cannot 
think  what  he  can  be  about,  or  where  he  is  staying ; 
it  is,  in  fact,  most  extraordinary."  Many,  who  were 
not  degraded,  were  sharply  reprimanded  ;  one  gene- 
ral being  told  that,  if  he  did  not  do  better,  he 
would  be  treated  as  he  already  deserved  to  be 
treated ;  and  anofher  being  reminded  that  there 
was  a  blot  on  his  military  fame,  which  he  would  do 
well  to  wipe  off  as  speedily  as  possible.* 

Still,  amid  all  these  royal  complaints,  and  while 
the  **  obstreperous  fellows  without  queues "  were 
constantly  retreating  towards  Peking,   the   official 


•  Peking  Gazette. 
11 


242  TAI-PIXG-WANG. 

gazette  recorded,  from  time  to  time,  its  great  vic- 
tories. Thousands  of  these  same  fellows  were 
slaughtered  ;  chiefs,  in  red  caps  and  yellow  jackets, 
not  a  few,  were  cut  up  into  small  pieces ;  guns, 
matchlocks,  jingalls,  lanterns,  umbrellas,  flags,  and 
jackets  were  reckoned  up  among  the  spoils,  until 
their  number  could  no  longer  be  counted  ;  and  the 
god  Kwan-te  having  several  times  interposed  in 
favor  of  the  royal  arms,  a  number  of  generals 
united  in  a  memorial  to  the  throne,  saying,  **  It  is 
the  stupid  opinion  of  us,  his  majesty's  slaves,  that 
a  new  title  should  be  conferred  on  Kwan-te,  and 
that  he  should  be  elevated  in  the  scale  of  sacrifices, 
offered  on  state  occasions." 

This  expedition  of  the  insurgents  into  the  pro- 
vince of  Pih-chih-le,  however,  was  attended  with 
no  very  important  effects,  beyond  that  of  terrifying 
the  imperialists,  and  showing  that  Hien-fung  had 
not  the  ability  to  take  the  field  with  any  large 
force.* 

*  Compare  Ho.  of  Reps.  Doc-,  No.  123,  p.  327. 


XLI. 

THE   DEEDS   OF  HEANO-YUNQ    AND   KE-8HEN. 

During  the  time  a  part  of  the  insurgent  forces 
was  proceeding  northward,  and  threatening  Peking, 
more  or  less  fighting  was  taking  place  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Nanking,  and  Chin-kiang. 

The  imperial  generalissimo,  Heang-yung,  hovered 
for  a  long  time  about  the  former  city  with  a  small 
body  of  troops,  or  as  the  official  gazette  had  it, 
"  with  clouds  of  celestials."  At  one  time,  he  re- 
ported having  taken  a  number  of  the  rebel's  stock- 
ades ;  at  another,  he  had  thrown  stink-pots  and 
rockets  into  their  camp,  setting  it  on  fire  ;  he  had 
driven  the  rascals,  long-haired  and  short-haired,  in 
great  numbers  into  the  canals,  and  pushed  them  off 
of  bridges  into  the  water,  so  that  they  were 
drowned  ;  he  had  captured  their  tents  and  jingalls, 
their  spears  and  cartouche-boxes,  their  standards 
and  lanterns ;  and  he  had,  moreover,  been  well 
seconded,    both     by   the    god    Kwan-te    and    by 


244  TAI-PING-WANG. 

timely  showers  of  rain,  whereby,  on  several  im- 
portant occasions,  the  powder  of  the  enemy  had 
been  thoroughly  soaked  through.  Whenever  he 
went  out  to  battle,  he  sent  before  him  a  placard, 
stuck  high  upon  a  pole,  with  the  inscription  on  it 
in  large  characters,  "Avoid  death!"  This  was  rep- 
resented as  liaving  produced  great  effect  upon  the 
shorter-haired  of  the  enemy.  Another  feat  of  his 
consisted,  as  was  currently  reported,  in  driving 
several  hundred  cows  in  at  the  different  gates-  of 
Nanking,  to  see  if  there  were  not  pit-falls  and 
ambuscades  laid  there ;  whereupon,  he  discovered 
that  no  harm  happened  to  them,  but  they  went 
safely  into  the  city  ! 

Ileang-yung  also  offered  a  reward  of  one  hundred 
thousand  taels  to  whomsoever  should  bring  in  alive 
the  leader  of  the  insurrection,  Hung-Siu-tshuen  ; 
fifty  thousand  for  each  of  the  pretended  princes, 
Yang-Siu-tsing,  and  Seaou-Chaou-kwei ;  and  double 
the  money  to  whomsoever  should  devise  a  method 
for  blowing  up  the  fleet  of  the  enemy,  so  as  to 
destroy  their  power  at  a  single  blow.  At  the  same 
time,  "confessing  that  there  was  no  superfluous 
money  in  his  camp-chests,  he  called  loudly  on  all 
good  people  to  contribute  towards  defraying  the 
expenses  of  the  war ;  affirming  that  there  were  no 
less  than  seventy  thousand  men  then  under  arras, 


THE  DEEDS  OF  HEANG-YUNG  AND  KE-SHEN.    245 

and  that,  according  to  the  treasurer  of  the  pro- 
vince of  Kiang-nan,  there  had  been  paid  out  for 
their  support,  since  the  capture  of  Nanking,  nearly 
^ve  and  a  half  millions  of  taels.  **  No  matter," 
said  he,  "  whether  it  be  pure  sycee,  or  the  inferior 
kind  used  in  paying  the  salt-gabelle,  or  copper 
cash,  or  foreign  dollars  ;  you  may  just  suit  your 
convenience  as  to  the  kind  of  coin  contributed ; 
only  be  quick  about  it.** 

For  all  these  exploits  and  good  endeavors,  general 
Ileang-yung  received  from  his  master,  in  token  of 
his  favor,  an  archer*s  ring,  **  with  some  poetry  en- 
graved on  it,"  a  holder  for  a  peacock's  feather,  a 
green-jade  tobacco-box,  and  permission  to  wear  a 
yellow  jacket  when  he  went  abroad. 

Ke-shen,  also,  was  in  the  field  ;  though  he  did  not 
so  much  distinguish  himself.  He  would  have  taken 
Yung-chow,  only,  "he  was  api»rehensive  lest,  if  he 
recovered  the  city,  he  would  be  put  to  some  trouble 
in  pursuing  the  enemy,  and,  therefore,  delayed  the 
attack."  Afterwards,  having  breached  the  walls  by 
means  of  a  gun  weighing  ten  thousand  catties,  he 
reported  that  he  certainly  should  have  captured  the 
place,  had  not  general  Shwang-le  been  struck  down 
by  a  musket-ball  which  knocked  the  teeth  out  of  his 
mouth ;  and  had  not  general  Cliin-kin-suy,  after 
having  mounted  the  walls  by  a  ladder,  been  obliged 


246  TAI-PING-WANG. 

to  get  down  again,  because  his  soldiers  would  not  fol- 
low him.  But  these  excuses  did  not  satisfy  the  emper- 
or, who  ordered  that  Ke-shen,  *'  not  having  the  least 
ability  to  plan  military  operations,  should  be  deprived 
of  his  official  rank,  but  kept  at  his  post  to  do  duty.** 

Various  fruitless  attempts  were  made,  also,  by 
the  imperialists  to  recover  possession  of  Chin-kiang- 
fu,  the  key  of  the  grand  canal.  They  even  reported 
in  the  Royal  Gazette  that  they  had  succeeded  ;  only, 
**  on  account  of  the  narrowness  of  the  streets,  the 
general  thought  it  more  prudent  to  encamp  outside 
the  barrier."  The  fact,  however,  was,  that  though 
they,  at  one  time,  kept  up  a  continual  fire  on  the 
town  for  three  days,  they  made  the  attack  from 
such  a  prudent  distance  that  their  balls  all  fell 
short;  and  not  so  much  as  a  loose  brick  was  shaken 
out  of  the  fortifications. 

Finally,  in  their  distress,  some  of  the  leading  im- 
perialists went  on  their  knees  before  the  ''stinking 
foreign  devils,*'  and  solicited  the  aid  of  their  fire- 
ships.  Of  these,  the  Chinamen  entertain  the  most 
extraordinary  dread,  especiajly  of  those  which  are 
able,  in  consequence  of  their  light  draught  of  water, 
to  cruise  above  the  submerged  banks  of  the  rivers 
at  the  period  of  the  inundations;  and  running  for 
dear  life  on  the  appearance  of  these  strange  visitors, 
they  exclaim,  pointing  behind  over  their  shoulders. 


THE  DEEDS  OF  HEANG-YUNG  AND  KE-SHEN.  247 

** See!  ship  walk-ie  where  man  walk-ie  !"  But  the 
"stinking  foreign  devils"  declined  taking  sides  in 
the  contest  between  the  two  parties.  All,  there- 
fore, that  could  be  done,  was,  to  purchase  several 
square-rigged  vessels,  at  a  high  price,  at  Shang- 
hai, which,  armed  and  manned  by  a  few  "  outside" 
vagabonds,  and  joined  by  a  number  of  Portuguese 
lorchas,  and  Canton  war-boats,  were  dispatched  to 
Keang-yin.  But,  although  a  reward  of  one  hundred 
taels  was  offered  to  the  first  vessel  that  should  go 
into  action  with  the  enemy,  as  many  more  for  the 
capture  of  a  rebel  junk,  and  one  hundred  thousand 
for  the  destruction  of  the  whole  fleet,  it  turned  out 
that  the  "  outsiders"  were  no  more  disposed  to  win 
the  rewards  of  war  than  the  "long-tails,"  and 
nothing  was  done  by  the  allied  armada  beyond 
burning,  on  one  or  two  occasions,  a  considerable 
amount  of  gun-powder. 

Meanwhile,  the  insurgents  having  got  the  control 
of  the  commerce  of  the  Yang-tsze-kiang,  and  of  the 
grand  canal,  set  diligently  to  work  to  fortify  them- 
selves in  their  principal  strong-holds. 

These  lay  principally  on  either  side  of  the  Yang- 
tsze-kiang,  between  Chin-kiang  and  Wu-chang,  a 
distance  of  about  five  hundred  miles;  and  were 
Nanking  and  Chin-kiang,  in  the  province  of  Kiang- 
8u;  Lu-chau,  Ngan-king,  T'hae-ping,  Chi-chau,  and 


248  T  AI-PI\G-\VANG. 

Ning-kwoh,  in  the  province  of  Ngan-hwui ;  Kin- 
kiang,  Jan-chau,  Ki-ngan,  Hien-chang,  and  Wa- 
ning, in  the  province  of  Kiang-si;  Wu-chang,  Han- 
kau,  Siang-tan,  Han-yang,  Hwang-chau,  Hian-kan, 
Ying-ching,  Lin-chau,  Ngan-luh,  and  Tsan-yang,  in 
the  province  of  Hu-pe ;  and  Yoh-chau,  Siang-yin, 
and  Ning-hiang,  in  the  province  of  Hu-nan. 

While  engaged  in  strengthening  these  positions, 
besides  many  others  of  less  importance,  the  insur- 
gents also  took  pains  to  make  their  rule  acceptable 
to  the  people,  both  by  their  acts  and  proclamations. 
Of  the  latter,  the  following  is  a  specimen : 

"  Yang,  the  eastern  prince,  generalissimo  of  the  army,  and  prime 
minister  of  State,  as  well  aa  religious  instructor,  and  deliverer  of  the 
people  ;  and  Seau,  the  western  prince,  second  minister  of  State,  and 
also  generalissimo  of  the  army  ; 

*'  Both  servants  of  the  celestial  dynasty  of  Tai-ping,  which  has 
received  the  veritable  decree  of  heaven  to  rule,  together  issue 
the  following  proclamation  to  all  classes  of  people,  requiring  them, 
each  and  all,  to  follow,  peaceably,  their  respective  avocations. 

"When  the  will  of  heaven  is  determined,  the  minds  of  men  should 
be  compliant.  Heaven  having  now  produced  the  true  sovereign  to 
rule  the  people,  they  ought  to  yield  their  minds  to  his  renovating 
influence.  It  is  to  he  regretted  that,  ever  since  the  Tartars  have 
thrown  the  Chinese  empire  into  confusion,  they  have  induced  the 
people  to  worship  corrupt  spirits,  and  to  reject  the  true  spirit,  while 
they  rebel  against  God.  They  have,  moreover,  required  the  people 
to  assume  the  appearance  of  imps,  and  to  divest  themselves  of  the 
human  form  ;  by  all  which  means,  they  have  roused  the  vengeance 
of  high  heaven.  Besides  this,  they  have  oppressed  our  people,  and 
brought  calamities  on  the  living  intelligences.  They  have  made  the 
stiuk  of  their  covetous  practices  to  rise  up  to  heaven,  while  they  have 
degraded  literature  to  thfe  very  dust.    The  agricultural  and  mechan- 


THE  DEEDS  OF  HEANQ-YUXG  AXD  KE-SHEN.    249 

ical  classes  have  been  distressed,  every  year  experiencing  greater 
troubles ;  while  the  mercantile  classes,  in  coming  and  going,  have 
been  Severely  taxed  at  each  barrier.  Thus,  all  within  tho  four  seas 
are  grieved  in  mind,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  middle  region  look 
on  with  indignant  glance.  We,  the  generals  above-named,  having 
received  the  excellent  decree  of  heaven,  and  being  unable  to  endure 
the  spectacle  of  people  ground  down  to  the  earth,  have  elevated  the 
righteous  standard,  with  the  view  of  exterminating  the  Tartar 
hordes,  and  have  marshaled  the  royal  troops,  in  order  to  overcome 
the  wicked  one.  In  every  district  through  which  we  have  passed, 
the  people  have  welcomed  us  as  they  would  the  seasonable  showers ; 
and,  wherever  our  standards  have  appeared,  the  inhabitants  have 
felt  as  if  they  were  delivered  from  the  greatest  calamity ;  which 
shows  that  the  will  of  heaven  is  evidently  on  our  side,  and  that  the 
minds  of  men  incline  toward  us.  Ever  since  we  commenced  this 
great  undertaking  in  the  province  of  Kwang-si,  the  first  ranks  of 
those  who  have  come  out  against  our  royal  troops  have  inverted  their 
weapons  in  indication  of  submission  ;  while  those  who  have  been  in- 
fluenced by  the  fear  of  heaven's  majesty,  have,  on  the  first  report  of 
our  arrival,  lost  all  heart  for  defending  the  enemy.  Now,  having 
set  up  the  new  dynasty,  we  especially  enjoin  it  on  all  living  people 
reverently  to  worship  God,  and  set  aside  all  corrupt  spirits,  in  order 
to  gratify  the  mind  of  heaven,  and  obtain  celestial  blessedness.  Let 
the  learned,  agricultural,  mechanical,  and  commercial  classes  vigor- 
ously attend  to  their  several  employments.  From  the  date  of  this 
proclamation,  let  every  one  peacefully  abide  in  his  native  /e^^ion, 
and  contentedly  follow  his  usual  avocation.  Our  virtuous  soldiers 
will  not  touch  an  atom  of  their  property,  so  that  there  is  no  need  for 
the  least  apprehension.  Let  traders  proceed  to  their  markets  with- 
out fear,  looking  for  a  speedy  revival  of  the  country.  On  this  ac- 
count, we  issue  our  special  proclamation,  in  order  to  quiet  the  honest 
inhabitants.  Let  this  be  circulated  throughout  the  empire  for  the  in- 
formation of  all,  so  that  every  one  may  reverently  obey.  Do  not 
oppose. 

"A  special  proclamation,  given  in  the  third  year  of  the  celestial 
dynasty  of  Tai-ping,  on  the  first  day  of  the  fifth  moon  (June  GLh, 
1853)."* 

•  Medhurst. 


XLII. 

THE    TAI-PINO    THEOCRACY. 

The  government  established  in  Nanking  does  not 
differ  essentially  from  that  originally  set  up  at 
Yung-ngan.  It  is  a  military  theocracy.  Tai-ping- 
wang,  who  is  generally  mentioned  by  the  title  of 
Celestial  King,  is  the  absolute  master  of  his  follow- 
ers, and  the  pretended  lord  of  both  China  and  the 
whole  world  besides. 

He  is  in  direct  intercourse  with  heaven,  and 
seldom  shows  himself  to  his  fellow-mortals.  From 
time  to  time,  both  the  Heavenly  Father,  and  Jesus, 
the  Heavenly  Elder  Brother,  come  down  to  earth 
to  give  him  directions  respecting  the  management 
not  only  of  the  affairs  of  the  empire,  but  of  the 
most  petty  concerns  of  the  royal  household. 

The  will  of  the  celestial  king,  therefore,  is  the 
will  of  heaven  ;  and  the  slightest  acts  of  disobedi- 
ence are  liable  to  be  punished  with  immediate 
death  ;  while  obedience  is  followed  with  honor  in 


THE    TAI-PING    THEOCRACY.  261 

this  life,  and  eternal  happiness  in  the  life  to 
come. 

The  subordinate  kings,  who  are  his  ministers, 
share  with  him  in  the  monopoly  of  divine  inspira- 
tion. This  is  true  more  especially  of  Yang,  the 
eastern  king,  and  prime  minister,  who  has,  in  some 
instances,  gone  great  lengths  in  carrying  out  the 
Chinese  adage,  that  "  Wood  is  made  straight  by  the 
carpenter's  line,  and  princes  are  rendered  correct 
by  the  subject's  reproof;"  while  the  celestial  king, 
on  the  other  hand,  has  displayed  no  less  readiness 
to  follow  the  corresponding  practice  of  the  Chinese 
emperors,  of  publicly  proclaiming,  and  atoning  for 
their  own  faults. 

The  theocratic  machinery  of  the  new  imperial 
government  is  well  illustrated  in  the  following 
account,  taken  from  official  documents,  of  a  descent 
of  the  Heavenly  Father,  and  of  his  revelations  to 
Yang:* 

The  eastern  prince,  one  day,  addressed  the  celestial  king,  saying  : 
''  Not  long  ago  the  heavenly  Father  came  down  into  the  world,  at 
my  palace,  commanding  mc,  your  younger  brother,  and  certain 
others,  to  come  to  court,  and  report  to  your  majesty,  our  second 
elder  brother." 

The  celestial  king  then  inquired,  "Brother  Tsing,  what  were  the 
commands  delivered  by  our  Heavenly  Father  ?" 

The  eastern  prince  replied,  '-The  sacred  will  of  our  Heavenly 

•  Not©  I,  Appendix 


252  TAI-PI.VG-WANG. 

Father  was  to  command  you,  our  second  elder  brother,  to  instruct 
our  young  master*  more  assiduously  and  properly,  in  order  that 
every  word  and  action,  motion  and  rest,  may  be  in  accordance  with 
the  rules.  You  are  not  to  allow  him  to  do  as  he  pleases.  For 
instance,  when  our  Heavenly  Father  sends  down  rain,  and  our 
young  master  wants  to  go  out  for  a  walk,  were  you  to  allow  him  to 
do  as  he  pleases,  he  would  get  wet ;  therefore,  in  this  respect,  he 
must  be  restrained  ;  but  when  the  weather  is  fine,  he  may  go  out  for 
a  walk. 

*'  The  Heavenly  Father  further  lold  mc,  your  younger  brother,  to 
inform  you,  my  second  elder  brother,  that  if  the  female  officers  com- 
mit any  trifling  fault,  you  should  l>e  indulgent  towards  them,  and 
instruct  them.  You  are  also  to  be  gentle  towards  them,  lest  they 
should  get  frightened.  For  instance,  when  a  ditch  or  canal  has  to 
be  dug,  you  must  not  make  the  females  work  as  if  they  were  build- 
ing a  city  or  a  camp  ;  and  if  the  weather  should  be  unfavorable, 
with  rain  or  snow  falling,  they  should  be  allowed  to  rest  for  awhile, 
and  not  made  to  dig  during  the  continuance  of  frost  and  snow.  If 
you  comfort  them  in  this  way,  they  will  be  contented  and  happy, 
and,  feeling  grateful  for  your  kindness,  they  will  exert  themselves 
in  serving  you.  so  that  you  will  get  all  your  work  completed. 

•'  The  old  saying  has  it,  '  The  prince  should  employ  his  subjects 
according  to  propriety,  and  their  subjects  will  serve  their  prince 
according  to  fidelity.'  You,  my  second  elder  brother,  have  ascended 
up  to  the  high  heavens,  and,  therefore,  you  ought  certainly  to  be 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  all  matters  of  a  celestial  nature.  But 
these  female  officers  are  originally  women,  with  a  very  circumscribed 
amount  of  information.  How  should  they  be  perfectly  familiar  with 
celestial  principles?  On  common  occasions,  when  they  see  you,  my 
second  elder  brother,  in  front  of  the  palace,  the  female  officers,  get- 
ting a  glance  of  your  royal  visage,  can  hardly  avoid  making  mis- 
takes in  what  they  do,  so  as  to  excite  your  just  displeasure ;  on 
which  account  they  are  always  in  a  state  of  alarm.  Even  male 
officers,  when  they  come  to  do  anything  in  front  of  the  hall,  are  by 
no  means  at  their  ease.  For  instance,  our  younger  brother,  Wei- 
ching,  when  he  was  once  in  front  of  your  palace,  managing  some 

•  Tai-ping-wanif's  mn,  and  the  lioir  apparent. 


THE    TAl-PIXG    THEOCRACY.  253 

affair,  felt  a  certain  degree  of  alarm,  and  did  not  dare  to  speak  too 
much  :  how  much  more  these  female  officers,  when  they  come  into 
your  presence  ?" 

The  eastern  prince  also  addressed  the  sovereign,  saying,  "  When 
the  officers,  whether  male  or  female,  commit  any  crime  that  is 
worthy  of  death,  it  rests  with  you,  my  second  elder  brother,  in 
obedience  to  the  celestial  law,  to  put  them  to  death,  in  order  to  sus- 
tain the  majesty  of  the  Divine  law,  and  to  deter  future  offenders. 
But,  in  my  humble  opinion,  supposing  the  offenders  to  have  committed 
something  worthy  of  death,  there  may  be  still  some  circumstances  in 
the  case  not  very  clear  ;  and  if  you  hastily  put  them  to  death,  you 
may  someiimes  do  wrong.  Let  me  presume,  therefore,  to  offer  & 
suggestion,  which  is :  that  whenever  among  the  officers,  male  or 
female,  any  persons  commit  a  capital  crime,  I  should  earnestly 
entreat  you,  my  second  elder  brother,  of  your  superabundant  favor, 
to  hand  over  the  case  to  mo,  your  unworthy  younger  brother,  for 
careful  examination  as  to  the  circumstances  which  led  to  the  com- 
misiiion  of  the  crime ;  and  if  I  meet  with  any  extenuating  considera 
ttons,  I  will  supplicate  you,  in  your  gracious  compansion,  to  pass 
over  the  offense.  But  if  it  should  appear  that  the  parties  have 
really  committed  a  grievous  offense,  that  cannot  be  forgiven,  I  will 
report  to  you.  my  second  elder  brother,  that  you  may  determine  the 
case.  In  this  way  there  will  probably  be  no  cases  of  unredressed 
grievances;  and  the  justice  and  benevolence  of  you,  my  second  elder 
brother,  will  be  equally  displayed,  while  both  rewards  and  punish- 
ments will  be  properly  administered.  I  do  not  know  whether  this 
suggestion  will  meet  your  views,  but  I  beseech  you  of  your  clemency 
to  inform  me." 

The  celestial  king  then  said:  "That  which  you,  my  younger 
brother,  have  said,  is  very  right,  and  is  truly  in  accordance  with  the 
benevolent  feeling  displayed  by  our  Heavenly  Father,  who  loves 
what  is  good  and  hates  what  is  evil,  while  he  carefully  discrimi- 
nates between  the  one  and  the  other.  The  disposition  displayed  I»y 
me,  your  elder  brother,  is  impetuous;  and  if  you,  my  youn;?er  bro- 
ther, had  not  made  this  suggestion,  it  is  to  be  feared  that  I  should 
have  wrongfully  put  some  persons  to  death ;  now,  in  consequence 
of  your  advice,  not  only  shall  I  be  prevented  from  wrongfully  m- 
flicting  condign  punishment,  but  future  generations,  observing  this*, 


254  TAI-PIXG-WANG. 

our  example,  will  not  dare  to  do  anything  rashly.  From  hence- 
forth, therefore,  I.  your  elder  brother,  will,  in  every  case,  consult 
with  you,  my  younger  brother,  before  I  proceed  to  act.  It  will  have 
the  effect,  also,  of  inducing  future  princes  to  imitate  their  prede- 
cessors, and  consult  with  virtuous  ministers  before  they  decide  on 
action,  by  which  means  they  may  possibly  prevent  mistakes." 

The  celestial  king  further  s;iid :  "When  I  formerly  ascended  up 
to  the  height  of  heaven,  I  found  that  the  disposition  of  our  celestial 
Papa  was  rather  impetuous,  although  his  liberality  was  as  deep  as 
the  boundleas  ocean.  And  to-day  our  Heavenly  Father  has  given 
himself  the  trouble  to  come  down  into  our  world,  and  ordered  that 
I,  your  second  elder  brother,  should  be  beaten,  on  account  of  the 
extreme  nnrrown'^ss  of  my  mind.'' 

Thereupon  the  eastern  prince  said,  ''The  disposition  which  you, 
my  second  elder  brother,  possess,  is  just  that  which  our  Heavenly 
Father  has  caused  you  to  be  born  with  ;  and  when  a  son  imitates  bis 
father's  disposition,  it  can  scarcely  be  considered  an  instance  of  nar- 
rowness of  mind.  Do  you  just  set  your  mind  at  ea-se,  and  sit  down 
in  the  enjoyment  of  the  heavenly  kingdom,  which  it  is  to  be  hoped 
will  be  of  a  perpetual  duration.'' 

Having  finished  these  observations,  the  eastern  and  northern 
princes,  together  with  all  the  officers,  knelt  down,- and  then  exclaim- 
ed :  "  May  the  king  live  forever !"  after  which  the  court  broke  up, 
and  they  all  retired  from  the  palace  gate. 

The  northern  prince  and  the  various  officers  then  escorted  the 
eastern  prince  to  his  palace ;  arrived  at  which  place,  the  eastern 
prince  ascended  his  hall  of  audience,  while  all  the  officers  knelt  down, 
exclaiming,  "  May  the  prince  enjoy  abundant  longevity!'' 

The  eastern  prince  then  addressed  them,  saying,  "I,  the  general, 
having  this  day  announced  the  sacred  will  of  our  Heavenly  Father 
to  our  lord  and  master,  the  second  elder  Brother,  I  should  like  to 
know  whether  or  not  I  was  correct  in  so  doing  ?"' 

The  northern  prince  and  all  the  officers  replied,  "You,  the  eastern 
prince,  merely  announced  the  sacred  will  of  our  Heavenly  Father, 
every  sentence  of  which  was  in  accordance  with  the  mind  of  hea- 
ven ;  how  could  it  be  otherwise  than  right?"' 

The  eastern  prince  then  said.  "  Mind,  then,  all  you  officers,  when- 
ever a  superior  is  in  the  wrong,  yon  that  are  inferior  should  straight- 


THE    TAI-PING    THEOCRACY.  265 

way  inform  him  of  it,  without  hesitation.  Should  I,  for  instance, 
fall  into  an  error,  you  should  immediately  represent  it  to  me.' '  The 
oflBcers  all  said,  "  We  will  do  as  you  say." 

The  northern  prince  and  all  the  officers  then  knelt  down,  crying 
out,  "  May  your  highness  enjoy  considerable  longevity !  we  pray  you 
to  retire  into  your  inner  palace  and  enjoy  repose."  Having  said 
which,  all  the  officers  left  the  eastern  palace  and  retired  to  their 
respective  places  of  abode.* 

•  Note  J,  Appendix, 


XLIII. 

THE    INSIKGENT    CREED. 

There  is  no  god  but  God  ;  and  Tai-ping-wang  is 
the  younger  brother  of  Jesus — such,  in  brief,  is  the 
creed  of  the  insurgents. 

They  liave  renounced  tlie  worship  of  idols,  and  of 
their  ancestral  manes,  and  they  adore, instead,  Tien- 
fu,  the  Heavenly  Father  of  Christianity.  "Thou 
shalt  honor  and  worship  the  great  God,"  is  their 
rendering  of  the  first  conimanduient.  And  in  their 
comment  on  it,  they  say,  "  Tiie  great  God  is  the 
universal  Father  of  all  men  in  ever}'  nation  under 
heaven.  Every  man  is  produced  and  nourished  by 
Him  ;  every  man  is  also  protected  by  Him  ;  every 
man  ought,  therefore,  morning  and  evening,  to 
worship  him  with  acknowledgments  of  His  good- 
ness." 

Jesus  is  worshiped  by  them  as  their  celestial 
elder  brother,  the  first-born  of  the  Father ;  but  is 
regarded  as  inferior  to  Him  in  dignity,  inasmuch  as 


THE    INSURGENT    CREED.  257 

he  is  his  son.  **  Even  the  Saviour  Jesus,  the  first- 
born son  of  God,"  it  is  said  in  one  of  their  books, 
"is  only  called  our  Lord.  In  heaven  above  and 
earth  beneath,  as  well  as  among  men,  none  can  be 
considered  greater  than  Jesus  ;  and  yet  Jesus  was 
not  called  Te.*'  This  is  a  title  which,  from  the 
earliest  times,  has  been  applied  to  the  emperor,  as 
the  highest  of  potentates  ;  but  the  insurgents  make 
use  of  it  only  when  speaking  of  the  Heavenly 
Vather. 

The  Christian  doctrine  of  human  depravity  lies  at 
the  foundation  of  the  religious  belief  of  the  insur- 
gents. They  acknowledge  that  they  have  sinned 
against  the  great  God,  and  they  hope  to  be  forgiven 
on  repenting  of  their  misdeeds,  and  obeying  the  or- 
ders of  the  Tai-ping-wang  dynasty.  Those  who  fall 
in  battle  are  promised,  by  the  chiefs,  a  direct  trans- 
lation into  a  heaven  of  ever-during  felicity ;  while 
those  who  fly  from  the  enemy,  or  transgress  the 
commands  of  their  superiors,  will  be  doomed  to  the 
pains  of  an  eternal  hell. 

The  idea  of  an  atonement  made  for  the  sins  of  the 
world  by  Jesus,  the  celestial  elder  brother,  appears 
in  many  of  the  writings  of  the  insurgents  ;  but  it  is 
not  probable  that  they  have  any  very  clear  under- 
standing of  this  doctrine.  When  they  speak  of 
Jesus,  as  the  Saviour  of  mankind,  it  is  not  in  the 


25S  TAI-PING-WANG. 

sense  generally  attached  to  these  words  by  Chris- 
tians ;  Tai-ping-wang,  though  his  younger  brother, 
being  regarded  as  scarcely  less  a  deliverer. 

Their  views  of  practical  religion  are  summed  up, 
in  one  of  their  books,  in  this  wise :  "Who  has  ever 
lived  in  the  world  without  offending  against  the 
commands  of  heaven  ?  But  until  this  time  no  one 
has  known  how  to  obtain  deliverance  from  sin. 
Now,  however,  the  great  God  has  made  a  gracious 
communication  to  man,  and  from  henceforth  who- 
ever repents  of  his  sins  in  the  presence  of  the  great 
God,  and  avoids  worshiping  false  gods,  practicing 
perverse  things,  or  transgressing  the  divine  com- 
mands, may  ascend  to  heaven,  and  enjoy  happiness 
for  thousands  and  myriads  of  years,  in  pleasure  and 
delight,  with  dignity  and  honor,  world  without  end. 
But,  whoever  does  not  repent  of  his  sins  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  great  God,  but  continues  to  worship 
false  gods,  practicing  perverse  things  as  before,  and 
going  on  to  transgress  the  divine  commands,  will 
most  certainly  be  punished  by  being  sent  down  into 
hell,  and  suffering  misery  for  thousands  and  myriads 
of  years,  in  sorrow  and  pain,  with  trouble  and 
anguish,  world  without  end.  Which  of  these  is  the 
best,  and  which  is  the  worst,  we  leave  it  to  you  to 
judge." 

In  the  brotherhood  of  the  God-worshipers  there 


THE    INSURGENT    CREED.  269 

are  no  prophets  or  priests,  save  Tai-ping-wang  and 
his  ministers,  the  five  kings.  There  is  no  church 
separate  from  the  state.  Those  who  join  the  insur- 
gents go  through  a  certain  form  of  baptism  ;  but 
there  is  no  other  sacrament  known  among  them. 
Of  baptism,  the  notion  entertained  is,  that  it  is  a 
means  of  removing  the  guilt  and  stain  of  sin ;  so 
that  the  more  thoroughly  the  act  is  performed,  the 
more  effectual  is  it.  "  When  the  prayer  is  over," 
8ay8  their  ritual,  "let  the  person  to  be  received  into 
the  brotherhood  take  a  basin  of  water,  andfwash  him- 
self clean ;  or,  if  he  perform  his  ablutions  in  a  river, 
it  will  be  still  better." 

The  Christian  Bible  has  been  put  into  the  hands 
of  the  insurgents  ;  and  portions  of  it  have  been  re- 
published.* But  the  moral  and  religious  writings 
of  the  insurgent  chiefs,  both  in  prose  and  verse,  are 
also  received  as  inspired  scriptures,  and  ^re  more 
generally,  circulated  among  them.  They  possess, 
however,  several  forms  of  prayer  and  doxologies,  de- 
rived from  Protestant  missionaries,  which  are  in 
common  use  ;  and  every  person  is  taught  the  Ten 
Commandments  given  by  God  to  the  ancient  He- 
brews. Of  these  their  interpretation  is  extremely 
rigid.      They  say,  for  example,  *'  The  casting  of 

♦  The  first  twenty-eight  chapters  of  the  Book  of  Genesis.     See 
HooBe  of  Reps.  Doc.,  No.  123,  p.  147. 


260  '       TAI-PING-WANQ. 

amorous  glances,  the  harboring  of  lustful  imagina- 
tions, the  smoking  of  opium,  and  the  singing  of 
libidinous  songs  must  all  be  considered  as  vjolations 
of  the  seventh  commandment."  For  adultery  and 
opium-smoking  the  penalty  is  death  ;  and. strings  of 
heads,  seen  hanging  at  the  corners  of  the  streets  in 
Nanking  by  foreign  visitors,  testify  to  the  strictness 
with  which  the  law  is  executed.  Gambling,  also, 
and  even  the  common  use  of  wine  and  tobacco,  are 
prohibited. 

The  insurgents  observe  one  day  in  seven  as  a 
Sabbath ;  but,  by  an  astronomical  error,  this  falls  on 
Saturday.  On  this  day  homilies  are  delivered  to  the 
people  by  the  chiefs,  or  others  thereto  appointed  ; 
hymns  are  sung;  prayers  are  read;  and  sacrifices  are 
offered  of  animal  food,  wine,  tea,  and  rice.  During 
the  chanting  of  the  hymns,  the  worshipers  sit;  and 
they  kneel  during  prayers.  There  is  also  public 
religious  service  twice  every  day,  besides  the  offer- 
ing of  short  petitions  at  meals.  The  forms  of  prayer 
for  these  occasions,  as  well  as  for  many  extraordi- 
nary ones,  as  at  funerals,  on  birth-days,  and  in  time 
of  sickness,  were  derived  from  the  Protestant  mis- 
sionaries ;  and  are,  in  several  instances,  addressed  to 
the  Trinity.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed,  however, 
that  they  have  any  true  comprehension  of  this 
Christian  mystery ;  inasmuch  as  the  title  of  Holy 


THE    INSURGENT    CREED.  261 

Ghost  has  been — ignorantly,  it  is  to  be  presumed, 
not  blasphemously — conferred  on  Yang,  the  prime* 
minister. 

Astrology,  necromancy,  witchcraft,  and  the  art 
of  divination — all  in  such  vogue  with  the  Chinese, 
both  learned  and  unlearned — are  entirely  discarded 
by  the  God-worshipers.  Instead  of  the  old  impe- 
rial almanac,  which  noted  the  character  of  every 
day  in  the  year,  as  lucky  or  unlucky,  and,  therefore, 
suitable  or  unsuitable  for  the  performance  of  such 
common  acts  of  life  as  marriage,  burial,  laying  the 
foundations  of  a  building,  or  setting  out  on  a  jour- 
ney, they  have  adopted  a  new  calendar,  from  which 
all  this  nonsense  of  superstition  is  excluded.  In  the 
preface  to  this  new  almanac,  the  five  kings,  in  mak- 
ing report  of  their  work  to  Tai-ping-wang,  say, 
"All  the  corrupt  doctrines  and  perverted  views  of 
preceding  almanacs  are  the  result  of  the  devil's  cun- 
ning devices,  to  deceive  and  delude  mankind.  We, 
your  majesty's  subjects,  have,  therefore,  set  them 
aside.  For  the  years,  months,  days,  and  hours  are 
all  determined  by  our  Heavenly  Father.  Thus, 
every  year  is  lucky  and  favorable,  every  month  is 
lucky  and  favorable,  and  every  day  as  well  as  every 
hour  is  lucky  and  favorable.  How  can  they  be  clas- 
sified as  good  and  bad,  and  what  can  be  the  use  of 
selecting  one  period  above  another  ?    Whoever  truly 


262  TAI-PING-WANG. 

venerates  our  Heavenly  Father,  the  Supreme  Lord, 
and  the  great  God,  is  under  the  protection  of  Hea- 
ven, and  can  engage  in  his  duties  whenever  he 
thinks  proper.  Every  season,  therefore,  may  be 
considered  as  prosperous  and  favorable."* 

*  Notes  K  and  L,  Appendix. 


XLIV. 

THE   NEW   CELESTIAL   STATE. 

The  new  celestial  state,  established  at  Nanking  by 
Tai-ping-wang,  is  similar  in  its  organization  to  that 
of  his  army.  Every  phalanx  has  attached  to  it  a 
large  number  of  officials;  for  example,  two  dividers 
of  land,  two  dispensers  of  the  laws,  superintendents 
of  money  and  grain,  two  accountants  for  weights,  and 
two  for  disbursements.  There  are  also  officers  spe- 
cially appointed  to  register  the  births  and  deaths,  as, 
also,  others  to  make  note  of  the  cases  of  promotion 
and  degradation  among  officials.  Over  every  five 
persons  is  placed  a  cinquevir,  whose  duty  it  is,  alike, 
to  lead  them  against  the  enemy  whenever  they  are 
engaged  in  military  service,  and,  in  time  of  peace,  to 
overlook  them  in  the  practice  of  husbandry  and  the 
trades.  These,  and  all  other  subordinate  officers, 
report  their  doings  to  their  superiors  next  in  grade, 
who,  in  turn,  do  the  same  to  others  placed  over 
them,  until,  finally,  all  transactions  are  brought  to 


264  TAI-PING-WANG. 

the  knowledge  of  the  chief  ministers  of  state.  The 
land,  which  is  considered  as  belonging  to  the  celes- 
tial king,  is  divided  into  portions  called  mows,  being 
about  the  sixth  of  an  acre,  and  which  are  distributed 
into  nine  classes,  according  to  their  productiveness. 
Each  family  has  a  certain  extent  of  ground  assigned 
it  for  cultivation,  the  size  of  which  depends  on  the 
number  and  age  of  the  merabersi  **  Having  fields," 
say  the  celestial  regulations,  '•  let  them  cultivate 
them  together ;  and,  when  they  get  any  rice,  let 
them  eat  it  together ;  so,  also,  with  regard  to  clothes 
and  money,  let  them  use  them  in  common,  so  that 
every  one  may  share  and  share  alike,  and  every  one 
be  equally  well  fed  and  clothed." 

It  is  ordered  that,  throughout  the  empire,  the  mul- 
berry-tree be  planted  close  to  every  wall,  so  that 
the  women  may  have  silk  for  making  garments. 
Every  family  is  required  to  keep  as  many  as  five  hens 
and  two  sows ;  and  care  must  be  taken  that  they  do 
not  "  miss  their  proper  season  for  procreation."  At 
the  time  of  harvest  it  is  the  duty  of  an  officer,  called 
a  vexillary,  to  see  that  the  five  and  twenty  families 
under  his  charge  have  a  sufficient  supply  of  food ; 
and  any  superfluity  of  "  wheat,  pulse,  hemp,  flax, 
I  cloth,  silk,  fowls,  dogs,  and  money"  must  be 
brought  to  the  public  store-house.  "For,"  say  the 
regulations,   "  the  whole  empire   is   the  universal 


THE  NEW  CELESTIAL  STATE.        265 

family  of  our  Heavenly  Father,  the  great  God,  and 
supreme  Lord  ;  and  when  all  the  people  in  the  em- 
pire avoid  selfishness,  and  consecrate  everything  to  / 
the  supreme  Lord,  then  the  sovereign  will  havei 
suflScient  to  use,  and  all  the  families  of  the  empire, 
in  every  place,  will  be  equally  provided  for,  while 
every  individual  will  be  well  fed  and  clothed.     This 
is  what  our  Heavenly  Father,  the  great  God,  and/ 
supreme  Lord,  has  especially  commanded  the  truel 
sovereign  of  the  Tai-ping  dynasty,  with  the  view  of 
saving  the  whole  world."  » 

la  every  circle  of  twenty-five  families  there  must 
be  a  public  granary  and  a  church  ;  and  on  the  occur- 
rence of  a  marriage  or  birth,  the  vexillary  allots  to 
the  family  in  which  these  events  take  place  one 
thousand  cash  and  one  hundred  pounds  of  grain,  and 
also  offers,  in  the  place  of  the  former  supersti- 
tious ceremonies,  an  eucharistical  sacrifice  to  the 
Heavenly  Father,  the  great  God,  and  supreme 
Lord. 

It  is  also  the  duty  of  the  vexillary  to  see  that  the 
children  go  daily  to  church  for  the  purpose  of  being 
taught  by  him  to  read  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  together 
with  the  imperial  proclamations ;  and,  on  Sunday, 
each  cinquevir  is  required  to  conduct  the  men  and 
women  under  his  charge  to  the  place  of  public  wor- 
ship. There,  sitting  males  and  females  in  separate 
12 


266  TAI-PIXG-WANG. 

rows,  they  are  to  attend  upon  the  services  of  preach- 
ing, praying,  and  giving  thanks  to  God. 

The  vexillary,  moreover,  is  to  see  that  all  diligent 
I  husbandmen  are  rewarded,  and  the  idle  punished; 
and,  in  cases  of  strife,  provision  is  made  that  the 
subject  of  dispute  may  be  carried  by  appeal  from 
the  decision  of  the  vexillary  up  to  that  of  the  higher 
officers  of  state,  even  to  the  celestial  king  himself. 

All  persons,  both  those  in  office  and  those  out, 
are  to  be  kept  under  close  supervision  by  whoever 
stands  next  above  them  in  authority,  reports  of  the 
good  or  bad  conduct  of  each  person  being  sent  up 
from  time  to  time  to  the  chiefs  of  the  state.  Those 
who  behave  themselves  well,  whatever  their  sphere 
of  life,  are  to  be  rewarded  with  honors  and  offices, 
descending  in  most  instances  to  their  posterity; 
while  the  idle  and  the  lawless  are  to  be  punished 
with  degradation,  and  even  with  death. 

Special  seasons  in  each  year  are  designated  for 
the  purpose  of  filling  all  vacancies  in  office ;  when 
the  various  reports  of  conduct,  before  mentioned, 
are  made,  and  when  the  candidates  are  subjected  to 
a  series  of  examinations  by  those  in  authority,  with 
the  view  of  testing  their  worthiness  and  capability. 
And  once  in  three  years,  similar  examinations  are  to 
be  held  for  degrading  from,  and  promoting  in,  office, 
at  which  time,  the  subordinates  are  allowed  to  de- 


THE  NEW  CELESTIAL  STATE.        267 

nounce  all  acts  of  wrong-doing  on  the  part  of  their 
superiors. 

Such  are  the  main  features  of  this  system  of 
despotic  centralization,  raised  on  the  basis  of  com- 
munism. Like  the  old  imperial  organization,  it  is 
one  of  complete  governmental  surveillance  and  in- 
terference, utterly  inconsistent  with  individual  lib- 
erty, but  one  also  in  which  the  numerous  offices  of 
state  are,  in  theory  at  least,  given  only  to  the  meri- 
torious, and  those  whose  talent  has  passed  the 
ordeal  of  a  succession  of  examinations.  It  is  a  plan 
to  make  all  men  virtuous,  but  to  do  it  by  compul- 
jBion ;  to  supply  all  with  the  necessaries  of  life, 
though  without  permitting  them  the  possession  of 
anything  besides ;  and  to  secure  the  benefits  of  indus- 
try, good  order,  and  general  comfort,  at  the  expense 
of  all  high  culture  and  genial  enjoyment  of  life.* 

*  Compare  "  The  Land  Regulations  and  Political  Economy  of  the 
Celestial  Dynasty,"  published  in  the  Kwei-haou,  or  third  year  of  the 
celestial  dynasty  of  Tai-ping  (1853). 


XLV. 

INTERCOURSE  WITH   FOREIGN  NATIONS. 

Attempts  have  been  made  within  the  last  two 
or  three  years,  by  commissioners  of  the  English, 
French,  and  American  governments,  to  place  them- 
selves in  direct  communication  with  the  insurgent 
authorities  in  Nanking.  But  although  they  suc- 
ceeded in  passing  up  the  Yang-tsze-kiang  in  steam- 
vessels  of  war  to  the  "  Celestial  Capital,"  and  in 
holding  intercourse  with  the  subordinate  officials, 
they  all  failed  of  obtaining  audience  of  the  new  em- 
peror. Besides  the  fact  that  their  visits  to  Nanking 
are  looked  upon  with  some  degree  of  suspicion, 
from  their  known  sympathy  for  the  imperialists, 
Tai-ping-wang  has  adopted  the  policy  of  having 
nothing  to  do  at  present  with  foreigners,  as  he  will 
not  with  the  society  of  the  Triads,  who  for  a  time 
held  possession  of  Amo)^  and  Shang-hai,  or  with*  the 
confederated  bands  who  have  overrun  the  country 
around  Canton.     He  is  disposed  to  deal  only  with 


INTERCOURSE    WITH    FOREIGN    NATIONS.         269 

Hien-fung,  and  to  keep  all  other  parties  out  of  the 
field,  if  possible,  until  the  great  question  of  suprema- 
cy between  himself  and  his  rival  shall  have  been 
settled.  Then  it  will  be  time  enough  to  consider 
what  shall  be  the  relations  of  the  regenerate  empire 
with  the  nations  "outside  the  wall." 

The  determined  war  of  extermination  hitherto 
waged  by  the  God- worshiping  dynasty  against  that 
drug,  the  importation  of  which  into  the  empire  is 
enriching  some  of  the  commercial  classes  of  the  West 
to  the  utter  ruin  of  the  Chinese  race,  bodies  and  souls, 
would  seem  to  betoken  the  existence  of  no  disposition 
at  Nanking  favorable  to  intercourse  with  foreign  na- 
tions.* But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  religious,  not  to 
say  Christian,  character  of  the  new  regime,  together 
with  the  doctrine  promulgated  by  it  of  an  universal 
brotherhood  among  men,  may  be  relied  upon  with 
some  degree  of  confidence,  as  indicative  of  the  near 
approach  of  the  reign  of  more  just  and  liberal  senti- 
ments on  the  subject  of  foreign  trade  and  intercourse. 
Certain  it  is  that  the  Europeans  and  Americans, 
who  have  recently  ascended  the  Yang-tsze-kiang, 
were  unusually  well  received  by  both  the  people  and 
tlie  subordinate  magistrates.  When  it  was  known 
that  their  religious  books  corresponded  with  those  of 

•  Compare  Ho.  of  Reps.  Doc,  No.  123,  pp.  177,  311. 


270  TAI-PING-WANG. 

the  God- worshipers,  they  were  saluted  as  "  foreign 
brethren."  In  some  instances  aged  and  respectable 
men  fell  down  upon  their  knees  in  the  streets  before 
them,  to  do  them  reverence ;  their  ships  were 
thronged  by  multitudes,  whose  politeness  was  equal- 
ed only  by  their  good-humor  ;  and  they  noticed  an 
entire  absence  of  those  abusive  and  obscene  forms 
of  speech  which  so  constantly  foul  the  mouths  of 
the  rabble  of  Canton. 

Still,  it  is  understood  that  the  communications 
addressed  to  the  foreign  commissioners,  who  went 
up  to  Nanking,  were  all  of  that  arrogant  and  super- 
cilious stamp,  of  old  characteristic  of  the  Chinese 
court  in  its  intercourse  with  the  representatives  of 
the  occidental  governments.  They  set  up  the  pre- 
tension that  the  **  celestial  king"  is  the  lord  of  the 
whole  world,  and  require  all  nations  and  tribes  of 
men  to  lay  their  tribute  of  homage  at  his  feet. 

Such,  at  least,  are  the  high  notions  set  forth  in  a 
mandate  sent  to  Captain  Buchanan,  of  the  United 
States  steam-frigate  Susquehanna;  which  vessel, 
having  on  board  Mr.  Commissioner  McLane,  as- 
cended the  river  to  Nanking,  and  sixty  or  seventy 
miles  above,  in  the  month  of  May,  1853.  This  docu- 
ment came,  indeed,  from  officers  of  subordinate 
rank,  and  may  possibly  not  express  the  views  of  so 
intelligent  a  personage  as  the  "  celestial  king,"  him- 


INTERCOURSE    WITH    FOREIGN    NATIONS.         271 

self.     In  both  style  and  sentiment,  it  is  thoroughly 
Chinese,  and  is  as  follows : 


"a    MAXDXTORT    dispatch    to  BUCHANAN,  OP  THE    UNITED  STATES   OF 
AMERICA. 

"  Sin  and  Loo,  honored  with  the  meritorious  rank  of  earthly  magis- 
tracy, holding  the  oflBce  of  first  and  second  ministers  of  state,  of  the 
second  class,  promoted  two  degrees,  send  this  mandatory  dispatch  to 
Buchanan,  of  the  United  States  of  America,  for  his  full  informa- 
tion. 

"  Whereas  the  Heavenly  Father,  and  the  Heavenly  Elder  Brother, 
have  greatly  displayed  their  favor,  and  personally  commanded  our 
sovereign,  the  Celestial  King,  to  come  down,  and  be  the  peaceful 
and  tnie  sovereign  of  the  world,  and  have  also  put  the  (five)  kings 
to  be  assistants  in  the  court,  and  strong  supports  in  the  establish- 
ment of  a  flourishing  government : 

*'  Now,  therefore,  when  this  city,  the  Celestial  capital,  has  been  es- 
tablished and  built  up  by  the  sovereign  authority  of  the  Heavenly 
Father,  and  the  Heavenly  Elder  Brother,  it  is  the  very  time  that  all 
nations  should  come,  and  pay  courtly  honors,  and  all  the  four  seas 
advance  to  receive  instruction. 

"  From  you,  Buchanan,  there  has  been  received  a  public  document,  \ 
in  which  a  desire  is  expressed  to  come  and  see  the  eastern  king's , 
golden  face  ;  but  we,  the  ministers  of  state,  on  reading  what  is  con-  1 
taincd  therein,  find  that  you  have  presumed  to  employ  terms,  etc., , 
used  in  correspondence  with  equals. 

*'  This  is  not  at  all  in  conformity  with  what  is  right.  Because  oar  ' 
eastern  king  (may  he  live  nine  thousand  years)  has  respectfully  re- 
ceived the  Celestial  commands  to  come  into  the  world,  and  to  be  the 
assistant  of  the  Celestial  court  in  drawing  together  the  living  souls 
of  all  nations,  you,  who  reside  on  the  ocean's  borders,  and  are  alike 
imbued  with  favors,  ought  to  come  kneeling,  and  make  memorials, 
thus  conforming  to  the  principles  of  true  submission,  so  as  to  show 
your  sincerity  in  coming  to  pay  court. 

"  But  we,  the  ministers  of  state,  having  examined  this  communica- 
tion, have  not  submitted  it  to  the  golden  glance  of  the  eastern 


272  TAI-PING-WANG. 

king,  lest  we  should  excite  the  anger  of  the  golden  glance,  and 
draw  on  ourselves  no  light  criminality. 

'•  Kindly  keeping  in  mind,  however,  that  you  are  residents  on  the 
ocean's  borders,  and  have  not  known  the  rights  and  ceremonies  of 
the  Celestial  court,  indulgence  [for  the  past]  may  be  granted  ;  but 
henceforth,  as  is  right,  you  mist  conform  to  the  established  rules, 
and  make  respectful  memorial. 

"  With  regard  to  the  favor  of  the  Heavenly  Father,  and  the  Hea- 
venly Elder  Brother,  displayed  in  opening  and  awakening  your 
minds  so  as  to  induce  you  to  come  to  the  true  sovereign,  and  to  be 
near  to  the  Celestial  capital,  all  this  you  have  obtained  as  a  mani- 
festation of  the  grace  of  the  Heavenly  Father,  and  Heavenly  Elder 
Brother,  and  it  is  also  your  happiness. 

"  The  truly  submissive,  however,  most  assuredly  will  prepare  rare, 
excellent,  and  precious  things,  and  come  and  offer  them  in  honor  of 
the  king,  in  this  manner  showing  that  you  understand  the  mind  of, 
heaven. 

"  Now,  because  the  Heavenly  Father,  the  Supreme  Lord,  the  August 
High  Ruler,  is  the  only  one  true  God,  the  Father  of  the  souls  of 
all  nations  under  heaven,  and  Jesus,  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  the 
Celestial  Elder  Brother,  is  the  Supreme  elder  brother  of  all  men  of 
all  nations  under  heaven,  and  our  sovereign,  the  Celestial  King,  ia 
the  peaceful  and  true  sovereign  of  all  nations  under  heaven,  there- 
fore, all  nations  under  heaven  ought  to  reverence  heaven,  and  to 
obey  the  sovereign,  knowing  on  whom  it  is  they  depend.  We  are, 
indeed,  much  afraid  that  you  do  not  yet  fully  understand  the  things 
of  heaven,  imagining  that  there  are  distinctions,  as  of  this  nation 
and  of  that  nation,  not  knowing  the  oneness  of  the  true  sovereign. 

"  Therefore,  we  end  this  especial  mandatory  dispatch. 

"  If  you  do,  indeed,  respect  heaven,  and  recognize  the  sovereign, 
then  our  Celestial  court,  viewing  all  under  heaven  as  one  family, 
and  uniting  all  nations  as  one  body,  will  most  assuredly  regard 
your  faithful  purpose,  and  permit  you,  year  by  year,  to  bring  tri- 
bute, and  annually  come  to  pay  court,  so  that  you  may  become  the 
ministers  of  people  of  the  Celestial  kingdom,  for  ever  bathing  your- 
selves in  the  gracious  streams  of  the  Celestial  dynasty,  peacefully 
residing  in  your  own  lands,  and,  living  quietly,  enjoy  great  glory. 

"  This  is  the  sincere  desire  of  us,  the  great  ministers. 


INTERCOURSE    WITH   FOREIGN   NATIONS.         273 

"  Quickly  ought  you  to  conformto,  and  not  oppose,  this  mandatory! 
dispatch.  I 

"  Twenty-fourth  day  of  the  fourth  month,  of  the  fourth  year  of 
the  great  Peaceful  Celestial  Dynasty  (May  30th,  1854)." 
12* 


XLVI. 

PROBABLE  ISSUE   OF   TOE    INSURRECTION. 

The  result  of  this  contest  for  empire  between 
Tai-ping-wang  and  Hien-fung,  cannot,  at  present, 
be  foreseen.  Still,  considering,  on  the  one  hand, 
the  succession  of  disgraces  and  disasters  which  have 
befallen  the  imperial  arms  since  the  commencement 
of  the  insurrection,  it  would  seem  to  be  improbable 
that  the  Tartar  should  ever  recover  possession  of  the 
southern  capital  of  his  empire ;  and,  on  the  other, 
the  career  of  the  God-worshiper  has  been  through- 
out marked  with  such  superior  sagacity,  and  at- 
tended with  such  uninterrupted  good  fortune,  as 
naturally  encourages  the  belief  that  he  will  succeed 
in  gradually  diminishing  the  resources,  and  finally 
subverting  the  dominion  of  his  rival. 

The  struggle  may,  indeed,  be  continued  for  a  con- 
siderable number  of  years  to  come;  the  Chinese 
civil  wars  having  generally  been  of  long  duration. 
But  should  the  great  towns  on  the  coast  be  captured. 


PROBABLE    ISSUE    OF    THE    INSURRECTIOX.        275 

either  by  the  God-worshipers,  the  Triads,  or  the 
banditti,  the  imperial  supplies  being  then  cut  off  by 
the  coast,  as  they  are  already  by  the  grand  canal, 
the  northern  portion  of  the  empire  could  scarcely 
fail  of  becoming  disaffected,  and  Peking  of  being,  in 
a  measure,  impoverished. 

That  the  insurgents  may  become  divided  among 
themselves  is,  of  course,  possible.  But  their  una- 
nimity hitherto  is  no  sign  of  future  discord.  On  the 
contrary,  they  seem  to  be  a  perfectly  compact  body, 
animated  with  but  one  spirit,  and  controlled  by  one 
will.  They  are,  also,  led  on  by  a  mind  the  most 
gifted,  perhaps,  which  has  illustrated  the  annals  of 
China  since  the  days'of  Confucius ;  a  mind  of  strong 
convictions,  steady  purposes,  and  of  indomitable 
energy;  a  mind  which  has  inspired  the  hordes  of  the 
insurrection  with  its  own  heroism,  has  kept  them  in 
perfect  subjection,  and  has  led  them  from  Kwang-si 
to  Nanking  in  an  uninterrupted  march  of  triumph, 
to  be  paralleled  only  by  the  conquests  of  the  great- 
est captains  of  the  East.  As  long  as  the  originator 
of  the  movement  lives,  his  followers  can  hardly  be 
expected  to  become  disunited ;  though,  in  case  of 
an  early  decease,  the  succession  of  his  son,  Yow-chu- 
wan-soy,  the  heir-apparent,  and  so-called  "  third 
elder  brother,"  might  well  be  doubted. 

What  is  to  be  regarded  as  most  probable,  per- 


276  TAI-PING-WAXG. 

haps,  is,  that  the  nations  of  the  West  will  finally 
interfere  in  this  war  of  the  two  dynasties,  and  throw 
the  weight  of  their  swords  into  one  scale  or  the 
other.  The  time  for  breaking  down  the  great  wall 
of  partition,  which  has  so  long  excluded  from  the 
Chinese  millions  the  civilization  of  the  West,  can- 
not be  far  off;  for  the  commercial  nations  of  Europe 
and  America  are  getting  tired  of  waiting,  like  beg- 
gars, at  the  gates  of  this  haughty  Asiatic,  who  sets 
himself  in  opposition  to  the  common  law  of  the 
world,  and  the  will  of  Providence.  Already  Russia 
has  moved  down  from  the  north  on  the  river  Amour, 
taking  possession  of  a  vast  territory ;  and  the  strife 
for  dominion,  which  was  so  lately  raging  in  East- 
ern Europe,  may,  sooner  than  is  generally  antici- 
pated, be  revived,  and  extended  to  the  "central 
flowery  plains,"  where  alone  it  can  find  its  ultimate 
solution. 


A.PFENDIX 


NOTE    A. 


ExTBACT  of  a  letter  of  Mgr.  Bizzolati,  Apostolical  Vicar  of  Hou- 
Kwang ;  Janoary  28th,  1853 ;  published  in  the  Annals  of  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith  ;  No.  149,  p.  287.  (Translated  from  the 
French.) 

**  The  rebels  of  China  have  nothing  in  common  with  the  idolatry 
which  eictends  throughout  the  empire  and  the  adjacent  king- 
doms. Wherever  they  arrive,  they  overthrow  and  destroy,  to  their 
very  foundations,  the  temples  of  the  idols.  They  mutilate,  tread 
under  foot,  and  crush  to  powder  the  gods  so  much  venerated  by 
the  people.  Nor  are  the  monasteries  of  the  bonzes  and  bonzesses 
spared.  After  having  sacked  and  demolished  their  convents,  the 
insurgenU  promenade  their  divinities  in  masquerade,  and  make  a 
complete  carnival  of  their  idols  and  other  objects  of  superstition." 


278  TAI-PING-WANG. 


NOTE    B. 

Several  yeafs  later,  when  Sia-tfihaen  had  set  ap  his  throne  in 
the  ancient  capital  of  the  empire,  he  addressed  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Roberts,  offering  to  return  at  Nanking  the  favors  he  had  formerly 
received  at  Canton.  This  communication,  though  from  political 
considerations,  as  is  believed,  it  has  never  been  made  public,  is 
referred  to  in  the  following  letter  from  Mr.  Roberts  to  Mr.  Com- 
missioner Marshall,  propounding  certain  questions,  which  were 
afterwards  answered  by  the  Commissioner  in  the  negative : 

«  Canton,  May  30, 1853. 

"  Dear  Sir  : — The  other  day  Dr.  Happer  saw  a  letter  in  the 
hands  of  natives,  addressed  to  my  place,  and  said  to  be  from 
Nanking.  Since  that  I  have  received  a  letter — though  not 
thought  to  be  the  same — purporting  to  be  from  Hung- Sue- Tstten, 
the  chief  Tai-ping-wan,  or  prince  of  peace.  I  showed  this  letter  to 
Dr.  Parker,  who  is  acquainted  with  official  sealed  documents,  and 
he  thinks  it  genuine.  Hung-Sue-Tsuen's  name  is  plain,  and 
signed  in  full  at  the  close,  and  stamped  with  a  seal  having  on  its 
face  six  ancient  characters,  which,  plainly  written  in  modern  and 
translated,  amount  to  *  Tienteh  (Tai-ping-wan's  device),  the  prince 
of  peace's  seal.' 

/"  This  letter  refers  to  our  former  acquaintanceship,  and  the  deep 
impressions  remaining  on  his  mind  from  the  instructions  received ; 


APPENDIX.  279 

states  that  he  has  frequently  written  to  me,  but  knows  not 
whether  his  letters  have  been  received.  It  states  that  several  pro- 
vinces have  come  under  his  control ;  that  myriads  of  men  assemble 
morning  and  evening  for  worship,  who  observe  the  ten  heavenly 
commandments,  but  few  of  them  are  versed  in  Gospel  doctrines. 
The  letter  invites  me  *  to  come  and  assist,  that  the  Gospel  may  be 
made  plain,  baptism  (immersion)  may  be  received,  and  the  truth 
published.' 

"  Now,  having  maturely  considered  this  matter,  and  believing, 
from  what  I  know  of  the  case,  that  it  would  be  difiBcult  to  occupy 
a  more  important  or  useful  station,  I  feel  inclined  to  go  to  him  at 
the  earliest  practicable  moment ;  therefore,  I  beg  leave  to  propose 
the  following  inquiries  to  you  in  your  official  capacity  : 

"  1.  Would  it  be  against  the  law  of  nations,  or  would  I  subject 
myself  to  the  censure  of  our  own  laws,  to  go  to  him  immediately, 
in  the  capacity  of  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  merely  to  preach  to 
him  and  his  followers  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ  ? 

"  2.  If  so,  at  what  state  of  his  progress  would  it  bo  allowable  ? 

"  3.  Should  the  insurgents  take  the  city  of  Canton,  and  send  for 
me  to  go  into  the  city  and  preach  to  them,  would  I  not  be  allowed 
to  go? 

"  I  hope  you  will  favor  me  with  replies  to  these  official  inquiries 
at  your  earliest  convenience,  and  much  oblige 

"  Yours,  truly, 

"J.J.ROBERTS. 

"  Hon.  B.  Marshall, 

"United  States  Commissioner." 


280  TAI-PING-WANG. 


NOTE    C. 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  Mgr.  Bizzolati,  Vicar-apostolic  of 
Hou-Kwang,  to  the  members  of  the  Central  Councils  of  Lyons  and 
Paris ;  dated  Hong-Kong,  August  4th,  1853.  (Translated  from 
the  Italian,  and  published  in  the  Annals  of  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith,  vol.  xv.) 

"  They  (the  insurgent  kings)  have  placed  all  the  resources  in  a 
common  treasury,  and  reorganized  society  on  a  new  plan,  that  is, 
in  groups  of  twenty-five  persons.  Each  family,  thus  constituted, 
is  formed  of  a  certain  number  of  persons  of  both  sexes,  who  are 
prohibited  from  cohabiting  together,  under  the  most  severe 
penalties.  This  rule  is  to  be  observed  until  the  whole  of  China 
shall  have  been  conquered.  All  honorary  titles  are  abolished, 
except  those  of  officers  in  the  army.  The  men  are  to  adopt  the 
appellation  of  brothers,  and  the  women  that  of  sisters.  Each 
family  has  two  chiefs;  a  man  for  the  government  of  the  male 
members,  and  a  woman  for  the  females  ;  and  over  all  these 
individual  dignitaries  a  hierarchy  is  established,  comprising 
general  presidents  of  both  sexes.  All  these  confraternities  live  in 
common,  at  the  expense  of  the  public  treasury  ;  and  all  of  them 
are  bound  to  perform  military  service,  the  men  under  the  com- 
mand of  a  male  leader,  and  the  women  under  that  of  a  female  ;  for 
there  arc  captains  of  both  sexes.  After  the  conquest  of  the 
empire,  the  families,  whose  military  services  may  no  longer  be 


APPENDIX.  281 

deemed  necessary,  are  to  return  to  their  cities,  where  there  is  to  be 
no  distinction  of  rich  and  poor,  but  perfect  equality.  However, 
according  to  the  laws  of  their  communism,  the  king,  the  princes, 
and  generals  are  to  have  the  exclusive  right  of  possession  and 
acquisition,  and  the  subalterns  are  to  remain  in  the  service  of 
their  chiefs,  and  to  receive,  in  reward  for  these  services,  such  food 
and  clothing  as  the  generosity  of  their  masters  may  induce  them 
to  bestow.*' 


TAI-PING-WANG. 


NOTE    D. 

"  United  States  Consulate,  Shanghai, 
"/anuary  28, 1853.- 

"  Sib  : — I  have  the  honor  to  address  you  with  such  information  as 
I  can  obtain  regarding  the  internal  troubles  of  this  country,  pre- 
suming that  it  is  my  duty  to  report  upon  any  matters  which  may 
afifect  the  relations  existing  between  it  and  the  United  States,  or 
the  interests  of  American  citizens. 

"  No  intelligence  can  be  obtained  from  the  Chinese  oflBcers  with 
whom  I  come  in  contact,  which  can  be  relied  upon ;  and  I  take  my 
information  from  private  letters  received  by  Chinese  merchants 
from  their  correspondents  in  the  disturbed  provinces. 

"  Letters  from  Hankhow,  a  town  of  great  trade  on  the  Yang-tsze- 
kiang,  about  300  miles  to  the  westward  of  Nanking,  state  that  the 
rebels  have  gained  much  ground,  and  that  their  chance  is  good  for 
ultimately  obtaining  Nanking,  where  they  would  crown  an  emperor 
of  Chinese  race. 

"  The  government  troops  are  few  and  badly  conunanded,  and  only 
succeed  in  making  a  stand  in  the  strongest  of  the  walled  towns. 
The  treasuries  of  the  various  provinces  are  said  to  be  completely 
bankrupt,  and  the  government  in  straits  for  money  for  the  ordinary 
purposes  of  state.  This,  perhaps,  has  given  rise  to  rumors,  at  pre- 
sent prevailing,  that  some  of  the  highest  officers  of  the  emjieror 
have  memorialized  him  on  the  expediency  of  legalizing  the  opium 
trade. 

"  On  th€  other  hand,  the  rebels,  though  in  moderate  force,  are  suffir 


APPENDIX.  288 

cientlywell  organized  to  march  from  one  important  place  to  another ^ 
capturing  them  when  not  strongly  garrisoned,  and  everywhere 
moving  with  impunity  through  the  open  country.  Tlie  presence  of 
men  of  capacity  and  education  among  them  is  attested  by  the  order 
maintained,  and  by  wdl^written  politic  proclamations  disseminated 
through  the  country.  Their  soldiers  observe  the  rights  of  others,  and  | 
pillage  and  rapine  of  all  kinds  are  so  effectually  restrained,  that  the 
peasantry  take  sides  with  them,  and  the  country  through  which  they 
move  is  not  disturbed. 

"  It  is  supposed  that,  if  they  capture  Nanking,  they  will  take  pos- 
session of  the  cities  to  the  eastward,  including  Shanghai,  all  places 
of  large  trade,  and  which  would  afford  much  revenue,  and  that 
they  would  not  interfere  with  trade,  either  foreign  or  native 

"  I  have  stated  the  course  of  things  in  general  terms,  without  spe- 
cifying cities  taken,  or  strength  of  forces,  etc.,  etc.,  as  the  accounts 
are  too  contradictory  to  be  quoted,  only  agreeing  in  one  report, 
that  they  progress,  and  that  their  object  is  Nanking. 

"  Allow  me  to  present  my  congratulations  upon  your  safe  arrival 
in  China ;  and  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Sir,  your  most  obedient, 
humble  servant, 

"GEO.  CUNNINGHAM:, 
"  Vice-consul  of  U.  S.  America. 

"  Hon.  H.  Mabshall, 

"  Commissioner  of  the  United  States  of  America 
to  China,  etc.,  etc.,  etc." 


284  TAI-PINQ-WANG. 


NOTE    E. 

Extract  of  a  letter  of  Mgr.  Delaplace,  Apostolical  Vicar  of  Kiang- 
si,  November  6tb,  1852 ;  published  in  the  Annals  of  the  Propa> 
gation  of  the  Faith,  No.  149,  p.  283. 

"  The  pretended  defenders  of  the  country  are  scarcely  better  than 
so  many  brigands,  who  pillage  the  honest  citizen,  even  in  his  own 
house.  Accordingly,  only  raise  the  cry  in  a  market-place  that  the 
troops  are  about  to  pass,  and,  in  an  instant,  you  will  see  no  more 
shops  open.  To  bring  the  disaffection  to  a  climax,  it  is  said 
that  the  mandarins  are  about  to  lay  on  an  extraordinary  tax ; 
surely,  at  a  time  well  chosen,  especially  as  there  is  a  drought  I 
Hence,  seditious  murmurs  begin  already  to  be  heard ;  the  people 
do  not  conceal  their  desire  for  the  advent  of  the  insurgents ;  and 
there  is  not  a  village  but  what  would  gladly  come  under  their 
government.  It  is  said,  even,  that  the  native  mandarins  are  no  less 
impatient  to  shake  off  the  Tartar  yoke  ;  and  that  if,  in  these  crit- 
ical times,  they  add  to  the  popular  vexation,  and  increase  the  pub- 
lic burdens,  it  is  for  the  purpose  of  insuring  and  hastening  the 
triumph  of  the  rebels,  the  number  of  whose  friends  they  increase 
in  increasing  the  number  of  the  complainers  and  the  disaffected. 

"  The  rebels,  on  the  contrary,  pursue  a  course  of  conduct  truly 
wise.  They  abstain  from  pillage,  and  make  no  trouble.  From  the 
beginning  their  proclamations  have  declared,  *  We  have  no  quarrel 
except  with  the  Tartars  ;  we  destroy  only  the  Tartars ;'  and  they 
have  kept  their  word.    On  capturing  a  town,  they  give  no  quarter 


APPENDIX.  286 

to  the  Tartar  soldiers ;  they  put  to  death  the  Manchu  mandarins 
without  mercy ;  and  they  also  massacre  the  Chinese  mandarins,  if 
they  have  not  previously  sent  in  their  submission.  But  they  re- 
spect the  mass  of  the  people ;  the  iperchant  is  left  undisturbed  in 
his  affairs ;  and  the  traveler  is  permitted  to  continue  his  route  in 
peace.  In  the  journey  I  have  just  made  from  Ho-nau  to  Kiang-si, 
"whether  in  passing  along  the  western  parts  of  Ngan-hoey,  or  in 
traversing  Hou-pe  from  north  to  south,  the  sum  and  substance  of 
what  I  heard  was  this,  *  Would  that  the  rebels  of  the  south  might 
come  here,  too  I' " 


TAI-PING-WANG. 


NOTE  F. 

Extract  of  a  letter  of  M.  Paul  Perny,  Apostolical  Missionary  of 
Kouci-Tcheou  ;  May  10th,  1852.  Annals  of  the  Propagation  of 
the  Faith.    No.  149,  p.  299. 

"  A  Chinese  army  is,  of  all  things  in  the  world,  the  most  cu- 
rious. Twice  have  I  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  one  ;  and  never 
in  my  life  have  I  so  much  regretted  not  to  understand  the  art  of 
painting,  as  on  those  occasions.  The  most  faithful  description  in 
words  can  give  no  idea  of  such  soldiers.  The  year  of  my  arrival 
in  China,  the  Moslems  of  Yun-Nan,  a  restless  and  numerous  tribe, 
had  arisen  en  masse  agaiust  the  authority  of  the  mandarins ;  and, 
to  reduce  them  to  subjection,  the  governor-general  hastened  to  call 
to  his  aid  the  militia  of  our  province,  which  was  also  under  his 
jurisdiction.  I  met  the  principal  corps  of  these  auxiliaries,  with 
their  general-in-chief.  He  was  seated  in  a  very  elegant  sedan, 
borne  by  eight  men.  His  troops  marched  in  the  greatest  disorder, 
like  a  band  of  brigands ;  and  were  armed  with  lances  and  wretched 
matchlocks.  Each  soldier,  besides,  carried  his  umbrella  and  his 
lantern ;  thereby,  giving  to  the  whole  affair  an  expression  indescriba- 
ble, and,  to  the  last  degree,  grotesque.  That  army,  without  disci- 
pline or  experience,  would  be  destroyed  by  a  single  one  of  your 
battalions,  and  that  without  suffering  so  much  as  a  scratch.  An 
European  soldier  could  fire,  at  least,  twenty  cartridges  before  a 
Chinese  would  be  able  to  get  his  gun  off  once.     Nor  is  this  all. 


APPENDIX.  287 

When  the  musket  is  aimed,  the  person  who  holds  it,  turns  away  his 
head,  while  another  applies  the  match.  You  can  imagine  what 
would  be  the  correctness  of  the  aim,  and  the  celerity  of  the  ma- 
nceuvre,  especially  in  time  of  rain." 


288  TAI-PING-WANG. 


NOTE  G. 

Extract  of  a  letter  of  Mgr.  Delaplace,  Apostolical  Vicar  of  Kiang- 
81,  November  6th,  1852.  Annals  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith. 
No.  149,  p.  282. 

"  It  most  be  confessed  that  the  emperor,  Hien-fang,  and  his 
ministers,  appear  to  be  really  smitten  with  vertigo.  At  the  very 
moment  when  everything  depends  upon  strengthening  the  popular 
attachment  to  the  throne,  they  seem  to  have  undertaken  the  task 
of  destroying  it.  The  nation  is  crushed  with  imposts,  and  ex- 
hausted by  military  services.  It  is  almost  incredible,  the  annoyance 
given  to  families,  for  the  sake  of  sending  oflf  a  few  soldiers.  For, 
it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  Chinese  soldier  marches  on  his 
own  legs ;  not  at  all ;  he  must  have  a  cart  The  trooper,  also, 
would  be  too  much  fatigued,  if  he  were  compelled  to  ride  his  horse ; 
he,  likewise,  must  have  a  cart.  In  fact,  the  war-horse  himself  can- 
not carry  his  saddle ;  to  transport  his  trappings,  he  must  have  a 
cart,  too.  So  that,  last  week,  at  the  town  of  Choui-Tcheou-Fou,  two 
leagues  from  here,  in  order  to  set  in  motion  a  force  of  300  men, 
there  were  necessary  no  less  than  a  thousand  carriers  of  burdens." 


APPENDIX.  289 


NOTE   H. 

Extract  of  a  letter  of  Mgr.  Rizzolati,  Apostolical  Vicar  of  Hou- 
Kwang,  January  28th,  1853.  Annals  of  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith.    No.  149,  p.  287. 

"  The  revolutionary  troops  appear  to  be  under  good  discipline, 
and  very  much  superior  to  the  imperial  army  in  point  of  soldier- 
ship. They,  everywhere,  announce  their  intention  of  delivering 
the  country  from  the  yoke  of  the  Tartars,  whose  vices  and  tyranny 
furnish  the  theme  of  their  proclamations ;  and  the  people,  desirous 
of  having  a  Chinese  dynasty,  receive  this  denunciation  of  the 
foreigners  with  applause.  Hence,  the  rebels  receive,  from  all  sides, 
voluntary  subsidies,  enormous  in  amount,  and  enabling  them  to 
add  constantly  to  their  army.  But  the  imperial  troops,  on  the 
contrary,  degenerate  more  and  more ;  and  being  alarmed  at  the  su- 
perior numbers  and  bravery  of  the  rebels,  they  study  to  avoid  en- 
counters with  them,  and,  rather  than  do  so,  are  content  to  retire, 
and  give  up  to  the  enemy  their  cities.  In  fact,  they  give  battle 
only  in  cases  when  it  is  inevitable,  or  where  victory  is  absolutely 
certain ;  but  that  is  very  rarely.  Hence,  it  happens  that  the  sol- 
diers of  the  emperor  desert  by  troops,  and  that  the  officers  invent 
thousands  of  excuses  for  quitting  the  service ;  as  do,  also,  the  civil 
mandarins." 
13 


290  TAI-PIXG-WANG. 


NOTE   I. 

The  style  of  holding  cabinet-cooncUs  under  the  Tai-ping-wang 
dynasty  is  remarkably  characteristic  of  Chinese  manners,  and  may 
be  further  illustrated  by  a  brief  account  of  a  cabinet-council,  held 
two  days  after  the  "  descent  of  the  Heavenly  Father,"  described  in 
the  thirty-fourth  chapter. 

"  On  the  twenty-seventh  day  of  December,  Yang,  the  eastern 
prince  sent  a  chamberlain  to  request  the  northern  prince,  and  the 
Marquis  Ting-t'hien,  to  accompany  him  to  court,  that  they  might, 
together,  pay  their  compliments  to  his  majesty,  and  exhort  him  to 
'  set  his  mind  at  case,  and  enjoy  himself.' 

"  So,  when  the  female  attendants,  having  gone  up  into  the  belfry, 
and  beaten  the  gong  throe  times,  had  assembled  the  chamberlains, 
and  all  the  officers  on  duty,  in  the  eastern  palace,  the  party  proceed- 
ed to  attend  the  court  of  the  celestial  king. 

"  Their  arrival  duly  announced,  his  majesty  ascended  his  throne 
in  the  hall  of  audience,  and  the  drum  was  sounded  for  the  palace- 
gate  to  be  opened. 

"  Thereupon,  the  eastern  and  northern  princes,  with  the  marquis 
Ting-t'hien,  ascended  the  hall,  twice  exclaiming, '  May  the  king 
live  forever !' 

"  The  celestial  king  then  said, '  Brother  Tsing,  on  account  of 
what  afifair  of  state  are  you  come  to  court,  to-day  ?'  The  eastern 
prince  replied, '  I,  your  younger  brother,  have  come  to  pay  you  my 


APPENDIX.  291 

complimeots.'  To  which  the  celestial  king  said,  *  I  hope  that  you, 
yourself,  are  in  health.'  He  then  directed  the  eastern  prince  to  be 
seated.  The  latter,  on  taking  his  seat,  said,  '  I,  your  younger 
brother,  seeing  that  the  Heavenly  Father  took  the  trouble,  yester- 
day, to  come  down  into  the  world,  have  considered  that,  although 
the  instructions  given  by  him  were  primarily  intended  for  you, 
my  second  elder  brother,  they  were  also  designed  for  the  benefit  of 
our  brethren  and  sisters  throughout  all  the  world.  It  is  because 
we,  your  younger  brethren  and  subjects,  have  committed  faults,  that 
our  Heavenly  Father  has  admonished  you,  our  elder  brother,  there- 
by making  you  an  example  to  the  whole  empire.' 

"The  celestial  king  replied,  'I,  your  second  elder  brother, 
have,  indeed,  been  in  fault,  so  as  to  induce  our  Heavenly  Fa- 
ther to  take  the  trouble  to  come  down  into  the  world  to  admonish 
me.' 

'*  The  northern  king  said,  *  You,  our  second  elder  brother,  are 
not  in  fault;  it  is  only  that  we,  your  younger  brethren,  are  in 
fault.' 

"  The  eastern  prince  then  addressed  the  celestial  king,  saying, 
*  The  adage  says  :  "  A  prince  should  treat  his  subjects  with  respect, 
and  then  the  subjects  will  serve  their  prince  with  fidelity."  All 
the  subjects  of  this  realm,  depending  for  their  subsistence  on  the 
bounties  of  the  state,  are  in  duty  bound  to  servo  their  prince  with 
fidelity ;  when  subjects  also  distinguish  themselves  in  a  meritorious 
manner,  the  prince  should  bestow  upon  them  all  proper  considera- 
tion and  reward ;  he  should  kindly  sympathize  with  his  inferiors, 
and  bestow  favors  upon  them,  in  order  to  encourage  them  in  good 
conduct.  Now,  among  the  female  officers  of  the  celestial  court, 
and  in  the  palace  belonging  to  me,  your  younger  brother,  those 
who  attend  to  the  business  of  the  state  are  very  much  harassed. 
Some  of  these  are  the  wives  and  others  the  mothers  of  meritorious 
and  faithful  officers,  some  have  young  children  to  attend  to,  and 


292  TAI-PING-WANG. 

others  old  relatives  to  look  after ;  some  of  them  also  have  meritori- 
ous husbands,  who  have  given  up  their  households  out  of  r^ard  to 
their  country.  Now,  when  females  have  surrendered  their  domestic 
ties  with  a  view  to  the  service  of  the  state,  and  abandoned  their 
private  interests  in  order  to  promote  the  public  weal,  the  prince 
ought  to  take  into  consideration  their  futhful  devotion,  and  al- 
low them,  every  six  weeks,  to  go  and  look  at  their  relatives,  or 
every  month  or  three  weeks  to  go  and  inspect  their  boasebolds, 
or,  it  may  be,  every  week  or  fortnight  to  take  turns  to  visit 
their  domestic  hearth,  whether  to  fondle  their  children,  or  manifest 
respect  to  their  aged  relatives,  or  to  serve  their  husbands ;  in  this 
way  they  will  be  enabled  to  carry  out  the  duty  of  6rst  regarding 
the  interests  of  their  country,  and  after  that  attending  to  the  wel- 
fare of  their  family.  Now,  also,  there  are  many  ladies  whose  rank 
is  honorable,  and  whose  duties  arc  important ;  we  do  not  say  that 
the  female  officers  placed  under  these  would  purposely  neglect  their 
duties,  but  it  may  be  that  some  of  them  have  displeased  their  mis- 
tresses, who  may  have  scolded  them  a  little  too  severely ;  now,  if 
you  do  not  allow  these  female  officers  to  state  their  grievances, 
they  will  never  get  redress ;  the  females  employed,  therefore,  should 
be  i>ermitted  to  complain,  when  you,  our  second  elder  brother, 
would  be  able  to  make  up  your  mind  on  the  case,  and  decide  be- 
tween the  right  and  the  wrong.  This  is  one  way  in  which  princes 
may  employ  their  subjects  according  to  propriety.  Moreover,  in 
the  royal  city,  there  are  the  various  operations  of  erecting  palaces, 
digging  moats,  throwing  up  banks,  and  sweeping  the  imperial  gar^ 
dens,  which  must  all  be  attended  to  by  these  female  officers ;  but 
you  should  issue  your  orders  how  these  things  are  to  be  done,  it 
is  not  at  all  necessary  that  you  should  personally  inspect  these 
operations.  For  the  celestial  majesty  extends  to  every  spot,  and 
wherever  the  imperial  cavalcade  comes,  people  are  611ed  with  dread 
and  alarm ;  it  is  better,  therefore,  to  allow  these  officials  to  work 


APPENDIX.  293 

on  without  intemiption,  in  which  case  they  will  be  able  to  com- 
plete their  undertaking ;  but  if  you  go  personally  to  inspect  what 
they  Me  about,  they  will  not  be  able  to  bring  anything  to  perfec- 
tion. This  is  another  way  in  which  princes  may  employ  their  sub- 
jects according  to  propriety.  When  a  prince  thus  manifests  a  de- 
gree of  gracious  consideration  in  his  conduct  towards  his  subjects, 
then  his  subjects  will  be  more  especially  affected  with  gratitude  in 
order  faithfully  to  serve  their  prince.  If  you  carry  out  this  method 
of  treatment,  from  the  female  oflBcers  to  the  male  persons  employed, 
then  those  who  are  engaged  in  any  military  expedition  will  expose 
themselves  to  distresses  abroad,  such  as  sleeping  on  their  arms,  and 
fighting  amidst  frost  and  snow.  When  the  prince  thus  cherishes 
a  kind  consideration  for  his  subjects,  his  subjects  will  exert  them- 
selves to  serve  him  faithfully,  in  order  to  repay  the  benevolence  of 
the  prince.  This  shows  how,  when  the  prince  employs  his  sub- 
jects according  to  propriety,  subjects  will  serve  their  prince  with 
fidelity.  With  respect  to  the  female  apartments,  royal  reforma- 
tion must  begin  there ;  the  palace  is  the  fountain  from  which  all 
government  springs ;  hence,  he  who  wishes  to  illustrate  intelligent 
virtue  throughout  the  empire,  will  first  regulate  his  country,  and 
he  who  wishes  to  have  his  country  well  regulated,  will  first  put  his 
family  in  order.  At  present,  through  the  favor  of  our  Heavenly 
Father,  the  number  of  ladies  at  court  is  very  great,  the  daughters 
of  the  princes  are  also  numerous ;  it  will  not,  therefore,  be  right  to 
listen  only  to  the  statements  of  the  elder  ladies,  and  not  give  heed 
to  the  complaints  of  the  younger  ones  ;  still  less  would  it  be  right 
to  mind  the  prattle  of  the  younger  branches  of  the  royal  family  to 
tiie  exclusion  of  the  remonstrances  of  the  elder  ones.  In  every 
case,  you  should  allow  both  parties  to  make  their  statements 
clearly,  and  then  you  may  decide  between  them,  as  to  which  party 
is  in  the  right  and  which  in  the  wrong,  without  showing  any  par- 
tiality to  either.    When  the  ladies  wait  upon  you,  my  elder  broth- 


294  TAI-PING-WANG. 

er,  it  is,  of  course,  their  duty  ;  but  sometimes  they  may  be  apt  to 
excite  your  righteous  displeasure  ;  in  which  case,  you  must  treat 
them  gently,  and  not  kick  them  with  your  boot  on,  for,  if  you  kick 
them  with  your  boot  on,  it  may  be  that  some  of  the  ladies  arc  in 
such  a  state  as  to  call  for  the  congratulations  of  their  friends,  and 
then  you  will  interfere  with  the  kind  intentions  of  our  Heavenly 
Father,  who  loves  to  foster  human  life.  Further,  when  any  of  the 
ladies  are  in  the  state  above  alluded  to,  it  would  be  as  well  to  mani- 
fest a  little  gracious  consideration,  and  allow  them  to  rest  from 
their  labors,  while  you  s<;lect  some  separate  establishment  for  their 
residence  and  repose.  You  may  still  require  them,  morning  and 
evening,  to  pay  their  resi>ects.  Such  a  method  of  treatment  would 
be  proper  ;  and  if  still  any  of  the  ladies  should  commit  any  trifling 
fault,  so  as  to  give  offense  to  my  lord,  it  would  be  as  well  to  excuse 
them  from  being  beaten  with  the  bamboo ;  you  may,  however,  scold 
them  severely,  and  tell  them  not  to  offend  any  more.  Should  any  of 
them  commit  any  grievous  crime,  you  should  wait  until  after  their 
confinement,  when  you  can  inflict  punishment.' 

"The  celestial  king  then  praised  his  adviser,  saying,  'Your  ob- 
servations, brother  Tsing,  are  all-important,  and  may  be  considered 
the  specifics  for  managing  families,  governing  countries,  and  ruling 
the  whole  empire.' 

"  The  celestial  king  again  issued  his  commands,  saying,  '  On  a  for- 
mer day,  you,  my  brethren,  prepared  a  document,  which  you  sent  up, 
announcing  that,  of  late,  our  Heavenly  Father  has  not  bestowed 
upon  us  very  many  silks  and  satins.  Now,  I  should  like  to  know 
whether  you,  my  brethren,  have  clothes  enough  to  wear  ;  for,  if 
you  have  not,  your  second  elder  brother's  palace  is  well  supplied 
with  apparel,  and  I  will  order  some  to  be  given  out  for  your 
use.' 

'•  The  eastern  prince  said,  *  We,  your  younger  brethren,  through 
the  favor  of  heaven  and  the  great  goodness  displayed  by  you,  our 


APPENDIX.  295 

second  elder  brother,  have  still  got  enough,  and  there  is  no  occa- 
sion to  give  out  more.' 

"  The  celestial  king  further  said,  '  Since,  then,  the  apparel  pos- 
sessed by  me,  your  second  elder  brother,  is  abundant,  you  have  no 
occasion  to  make  up  more  garments.' 

"  To  which  the  northern  prince  replied, '  You,  our  second  elder 
brother,  are  the  true  sovereign  of  all  nations  under  heaven  :  you 
are  rich  in  the  possession  of  all  within  the  four  seas  ;  but,  although 
the  garments  be  abundant,  it  will  still  be  necessary  to  be  constantly 
making  up  more.' 

"The  eastern  prince  said,  *I  beseech  you,  our  second  elder 
brother,  to  excuse  the  freedom  which  I,  your  younger  brother,  am 
about  to  take.  If  the  apparel  were  insufiBcient,  it  would  be  neces- 
sary to  make  up  more  ;  but  if  it  be  accounted  sufficient,  it  will  bo 
better  to  delay  the  making  up  of  more,  in  order  to  carry  out  the 
virtue  of  economy  and  regard  for  others  displayed  by  you,  our  sec- 
ond elder  brother.  What  necessity  was  there  for  our  brother 
Ching  (the  northern  prince)  to  say  that  we  ought  constantly  to  be 
making  up  more  V 

•*  The  celestial  king  said, '  All  that  which  you,  my  brother  Tsing, 
have  stated,  may  be  considered  as  important  specifics  and  precious 
remediest  every  word  of  which  is  consistent  with  the  highest  reason, 
and  fit  to  be  preserved  as  a  rule  for  successive  generations.  When 
our  celestial  elder  brother,  Jesus,  in  obedience  to  the  commands  of 
our  Heavenly  Father,  came  down  into  the  world,  in  the  country  of 
Judea,  he  addressed  his  disciples,  saying,  "At  some  future  day  the 
Comforter  will  come  into  the  world ;"  now  I,  your  second  elder 
brother,  considering  what  you,  brother  Tsing,  have  reported  to  me, 
and  observing  what  you  have  done,  must  consider  that  the  Com- 
forter, and  the  Holy  Ghost,  spoken  of  by  our  celestial  elder  brother, 
is  none  other  than  yourself.' 

"When  he  had  finished  speaking,  the  northern  prince,  with 


296  TAI-PING-WANG. 

the  Marquis  Ting-t'heen,  thrice  exclaimed,  'May  the  king  live 
forever !  we  beseech  your  celestial  majesty  to  make  yourself  easy 
and  enjoy  happiness.'  Having  said  which,  they  returned  thanks 
for  the  feast  bestowed  upon  them,  and  retired  from  the  court'* 


APPENDIX.  297 


NOTE  J. 

PROCLAMATIONS   OP  THB  TAI-PINO  DYNASTY. 

A  still  more  complete  nnderstanding  of  the  pretended  heavenly 
agencies  by  which  the  insurrection  was  narsed  and  brought  to 
maturity,  as  well  as  of  its  spirit  and  aims,  may  be  gathered  from 
the  following  proclamations,  extracted  from  "  The  Book  of  Celestial 
Decrees  and  Declarations  of  the  Imperial  Will,"  published  in  the 
second  year  of  the  Tai-ping  dynasty,  denominated  Jin-tsze  (1852) : 

"  On  the  18th  day  of  the  3rd  moon,  of  the  Sin-k'hao  year, 
(April  23d,  1851),  in  the  village  ofTung-heang  (in  the  district  of 
Woo-seucn),  the  Celestial  Elder  Brother,  Jesus,  addressed  the  multi- 
tude, saying,  *  Oh,  my  younger  brethren  1  you  must  keep  the  celes- 
tial commands,  and  obey  the  orders  that  are  given  you,  and  be  at 
peace  among  yourselves ;  if  a  superior  be  in  the  wrong,  and  an  in- 
ferior somewhat  in  the  right,  or  if  an  inferior  is  in  the  wrong,  and  a 
superior  somewhat  in  the  right,  do  not,  on  account  of  a  single  ex- 
pression, record  the  matter  in  a  book,  and  contract  feuds  and 
enmities.  You  ought  to  cultivate  what  is  good,  and  purify  your 
conduct;  you  should  not  go  into  the  villages,  to  seize  people's 
goods.  When  you  go  into  the  ranks  to  fight,  you  must  not  re- 
treat. When  you  have  money,  you  must  make  it  public,  and  not 
consider  it  as  belonging  to  one  and  another.    You  must,  with  united 

heart  and  strength,  together  conquer  the  hills  and  rivers.    You 
13» 


298  TAI-PING-WANG. 

should  find  out  the  way  to  heaven,  and  walk  in  it ;  although,  at 
present,  the  work  be  toilsome  and  distressing,  yet,  by-and-by. 
you  will  be  promoted  to  high  offices.  If,  having  been  instructed, 
any  of  you  should  still  break  heaven's  commands,  and  slight  the 
orders  given  you,  or  disobey  your  officers,  or  retreat  when  you  are 
led  into  battle,  do  not  be  surprised  if  I,  your  exalted  elder  brother, 
issue  orders  to  have  you  put  to  death.'  " 

"  On  the  13th  day  of  the  7th  month  of  the  Sin-k'hae  year  (Au- 
gust 18th,  1851),  at  Red  Thorn  Hill,  in  the  tea  district,  our  Heav- 
enly Father,  the  Great  God,  and  Supreme  Lord,  said  : 

*  I,  your  Iloavenly  Father,  for  several  years  past,  have  come  down  amon^ 
you. 

Your  Celestial  Elder  Brother  has  come  down  to  protect  yoa,  and  zealous- 
ly (fODc  out  before  you. 

JcsuB,  your  Saviour,  contiuucs  to  exert  himself  in  leading  you  on,  just  a« 
before. 

I,  your  Heavenly  Father,  will  be  your  Lord  all  your  lives  long. 

Why  do  you  not,  then,  be  faithful,  and  why  neglect  to  improve  your- 
selves ? 

Many  of  you  have  grievously  disobeyed  orders, 

And  because  I  have  not  pointed  you  out,  your  boldness  has  rison  up  to 
heaven. 

When  you  try  to  deceive  heaven,  do  not  think  that  heaven  does  not 
know  it. 

The  indulgence  of  heaven  is  vast  as  the  sen,  and  yet  not  slow  ^to  punish). 

I  perceive  that  there  is  among  you  a  slight  want  of  courage. 

How  long  will  you  refuse  to  act  as  faithful  servants  ? 

You  intended  in  the  dead  of  the  night  to  follow  the  dark  road. 

And,  ere  moming  dawned,  you  had  to  complain  of  being  caught  by  the 
devil's  delusions. 

Now  then,  all  of  you  follow  the  right  way  in  defense  of  your  king, 

And  truly  believe  your  Heavenly  Father,  without  harboring  saspicions.' 

"  The  Great  God  also  said  : 

*  Now,  I,  your  Heavenly  Father,  have  personally  come  down  into 
the  world,  to  lead  on  you,  my  little  ones ;  but  I  see  that  some  of 


APPENDIX.  299 

yoaare  disobedient  to  the  heavenly  commands,  and  every  time  you 
engage  in  any  aflRiir,  you  do  not  act  in  unison.  Think,  now,  whose 
rice  you  are  eating,  and  in  what  work  you  are  engaged.  When  you 
are  sent  to  kill  the  imps  (enemies),  why  are  you  not  more  united, 
why  do  you  not  exert  your  strength,  and  press  forward  together  in 
battle?  I,  your  Heavenly  Father,  tell  you  plainly,  from  this  time 
forth,  that,  in  killing  the  imps,  if  any  one  of  you  in  the  least  d^ec 
refuses  to  go  forth,  or  venture  into  battle,  you  may  be  sure  that 
heaven  knows  it ;  for  you,  yourselves,  know  all  about  it.  Consider 
well,  that  I,  your  Heavenly  Father,  am  mighty,  and  require  all 
you,  little  ones,  to  obey  orders ;  if  you  again  disobey,  do  not  be  sur- 
prised (if  I  punish  you).  Every  one  of  you  must  be  true-hearted 
and  courageous,  in  doing  the  work  of  heaven.'  " 

"The  next  day  (August  1 9th),  early  in  the  morning,  the  great 
God  said : 

*  From  of  old,  life  and  death  havo  been  decreed  by  heaven ; 
How  can  one  succeed  in  anything  by  depending  on  himself  7 
The  soul  is  originally  bestowed  on  you  by  your  Heavenly  Father ; 
Now,  if  you  do  not  arouse,  what  sort  of  people  can  you  account  your- 
selves ? '  " 

"  On  the  twenty-sixth  day  of  the  seventh  moon,  of  the  Sin-k'hae 
year  (August  31, 1851),  at  night,  in  the  village  of  Muh,  the  Heav- 
enly Father,  the  great  God,  and  Supreme  Lord,  put  to  death 
Hwang-e-chin,  and  said : 

*  Hwang-e-chin  has  twice  disobeyed  commands ; 

From  the  cloudy  heavens  to  the  snowy  earth  his  fault  cannot  be  excused. 

Ho  boldly  attempted  to  deceive  heaven,  and  had  no  faith ; 

In  the  time  of  battle,  he  twice  caused  our  heroes  to  retire. 

The  true  spirit  (God)  created  the  land  and  the  sea ; 

If  you  do  not  believe  in  your  ghostly  Father,  what  merit  have  you  1 

Oh,  all  ye  little  ones,  obey  heaven's  commands  ; 

If  yon  disobey,  like  E-chin,  your  crimes  will  never  be  forgiven.'  " 


300  TAI-PING-WANG. 

"  On  the  twentieth  day  of  the  tenth  month,  of  the  Sin-kliae  year 
(December  26th,  1851),  at  the  city  of  Yung-gnan,  Jesus,  the  Ce- 
lestial Elder  Brother,  said  : 

*  If  a  man  wishes  to  become  a  hero,  he  must  not  be  at  his  case  ; 
he  that  is  at  his  case  cannot  be  a  hero  ;  the  more  you  endure  suf- 
ferings, the  greater  will  be  your  dignity.  But  you  need  not  be 
alarmed  ;  for  if  those  impish  fiends  (the  enemy)  were  able  of  a 
sudden  to  fly,  or  to  change  their  form,  they  never  could  escape  the 
hand  of  my  Heavenly  Father,  or  the  hand  of  me,  your  Celestial 
Elder  Brother.' " 

"  In  the  early  part  of  the  twelfth  month,  in  the  Kang-suh  year 
(January,  1851),  at  a  place  called  Kin-t'hien,  the  celestial  king 
commanded,  saying  : 

*  The  first  requisite  is,  to  obey  the  commandments ;  the  second, 
to  divide  the  ranks  of  the  males  from  the  females ;  the  third,  to 
avoid  encroachment  in  the  slightest  decree  ;  the  fourth,  to  mani- 
fest a  public  spirit,  and  a  harmonious  feeling,  each  one  following 
the  orders  of  his  superiors  ;  the  fifth,  to  combine  every  efibrt,  and 
every  energy,  and,  when  engaging  in  batUe,  never  to  retreat* " 

"  On  tire  nineteenth  day  of  the  seventh  month,  of  the  Sin-k'hae 
year  (24th  August,  1851),  at  the  tea  district,  the  celestial  king  issued 
a  proclamation,  commanding  every  officer  and  soldier  throughout 
all  the  regiments  and  battalions,  with  courage  and  joy,  exultingly 
to  obey  the  requisitions  of  our  Heavenly  Father  and  Celestial  Eld- 
er Brother,  without  being  agitated  by  fear ;  for  all  things  are 
determined  by  our  Heavenly  Father  and  Celestial  Elder  Brother ; 
every  trouble  is  intended  by  our  Heavenly  Father  and  Celestial 
Elder  Brother,  as  the  trial  of  our  minds  ;  therefore,  let  every  one 
be  true,  and  firm,  and  patient,  so  that  ho  may  answer  it  to  onr 
Heavenly  Father  and  our  Celestial  Elder  Brother. 


APPENDIX.  301 

"  The  Heavenly  Father  formerly  issued  his  commands,  saying, 
'  Let  every  one  be  firm  and  patient,  and  he  will  not  know  any  dif- 
ference (between  cold  and  heat),  so  that  the  colder  it  is,  the  more 
he  may  throw  off  his  clothes.' 

"  Remembering  this,  let  all  the  officers  and  soldiers  awake  from 
their  lethargy.  According  to  the  statement  now  handed  in,  there 
seems  to  be  no  salt ;  let  the  camp,  therefore,  be  removed.  Ac- 
cording to  the  same  statement,  it  also  appears  there  are  many  sick 
and  wounded ;  let  the  greater  care,  therefore,  be  taken  to  preserve 
the  feeble.  Should  you  fail  to  preserve  one  among  our  brethren 
and  sisters,  you  will  disgrace  our  Heavenly  Father,  and  Celestial 
Elder  Brother.  Now,  when  the  camp  seta  forward,  let  all  the  le- 
gions and  cohorts  be  strict  and  exact  in  keeping  the  ranks,  and  in 
combining  every  effort  and  every  energy.  Let  me  earnestly  en- 
treat you  reverently  to  obey  the  celestial  commands,  and  do  not 
any  more  oflfond.  The  general  in  command  of  the  advanced 
guard,  our  sister's  husband,  Seaou-Chaou-kwei,  and  the  general  in 
command  of  the  left  wing,  our  brother,  Shih-tah-k'hae,  should,  to- 
gether take,  the  superintendence  of  the  chief  inspector's  depart- 
ment. The  first  and  second  brigadiers  of  the  advanced  guard, 
the  first  and  second  brigadiers  of  the  left  wing,  must  lead  the  van. 
Let  the  general  in  command  of  the  centre  of  the  army,  our  broth- 
er, Yang-fiiu-tsing,  take  the  superintendence  of  the  chief  direct- 
or's department ;  the  first  and  second  brigadiers  of  the  central 
division,  together  with  twenty  of  the  select  body-guard,  are  to 
guard  the  centre.  The  general  in  command  of  the  right-wing,  our 
brother,  Wei-ching,  and  the  general  in  command  of  the  rear-guard, 
our  brother,  Fung-yung-san,  should  together  lead  on  the  first  and 
second  brigadiers  of  the  right  wing,  and  the  first  and  second  bri- 
gadiers of  the  army  of  reserve  to  guard  the  rear.  AVhenever  the 
camps  advance,  or  pitch  their  tents,  let  every  legion  and  cohort 
be  regularly  joined,  so  as  to  be  able  to  come  to  each  other's  assist- 


302  TAI-PI\G-WANO. 

ance.  You  must,  every  one  of  you,  exert  your  energies  in  sus- 
taining and  protecting  the  old  and  young,  both  male  and  female, 
together  with  the  sick  and  wounded,  bo  as  to  preserve  them  from 
every  harm.  At  the  same  time,  let  every  one  look  to  the  orJers 
that  issue  from  our  little  heaven ;  and  all,  both  officers  and  sol- 
diers, be  obedient. 
"  Respect  this." 

"  On  the  third  day  of  the  eighth  month,  of  the  Sin-k'hae  year 
(8th  September,  1851),  at  the  village  of  Muh,  the  celestial  king 
commaudeil  all  the  officers  and  soldiers,  throughout  the  various 
camps  and  legions,  to  rouse  their  courage,  and  cxultingly  rejoice, 
also  with  united  efforts  and  energies  to  march  forward,  because  in 
everything  our  Heavenly  Father  takes  the  superintendence,  and 
our  Celestial  Elder  Brother  sustains  us  ;  therefore,  let  me  earnest- 
ly entreat  you  not  to  be  agitated  by  fear  : 

'  The  true  spirit  (God)  can  create  the  hills  and  sooa  ; 
Let  the  fiendish  imps  come  on  at  once  ; 

Let  nets  be  spread  in  heaven  and  earth,  surrounding  us  with  double  folds. 
Do  you,  soldiers  and  officers,  expand  your  minds  with  courage  ; 
Let  the  wntch  go  their  rounds  by  day  and  by  night,  and  strictly  guard  ; 
Let  plans  be  laid,  and  silence  reign  throughout  the  camp. 
Formerly,  Yo-fei,  with  five  hundred  men,  defeated  a  hundred  thousand  ; 
Ilowmuch  more,  then,  shall  we  be  able  to  exterminate  tliese  impish  fiends.' 

"  Respect  this." 

"  On  the  nineteenth  day  of  the  eighth  month,  of  the  Sin-k'hae 
year  (September  24th,  1851),  when  on  board  a  boat,  the  celestial 
king  issued  a  proclamation,  saying  :  '  AVe  earnestly  beseech  you, 
soldiers  and  officers,  to  obey  the  commands  of  heaven,  and  do  not 
any  more  offend.  We,  on  this  occasion,  most  sincerely  impress 
upon  you  this  assurance,  that  those  who.  at  the  present  time,  do 


APPENDIX.  303 

not  covet  life  or  fear  death,  will  afterwards  ascend  to  heaven,  where 
they  will  enjoy  eternal  life ;  but  those  of  you  who  covet  life,  will 
not  get  life,  and  those  of  you  who  dread  death,  will  meet  with 
death.  Moreover,  those  who,  at  the  present  hour,  do  not  covet 
ease,  or  fear  misery,  shall  afterwards  ascend  to  heaven,  where  they 
shall  enjoy  the  eternal  tranquillity,  and  freedom  from  every  woe ; 
but  those  of  you  who  covet  ease,  will  not  get  ease,  and  those  who 
fear  misery  will  experience  misery.  After  all,  obey  heaven's  com- 
mands, and  you  will  enjoy  celestial  bliss  ;  disobey,  and  you  will 
go  to  hell ;  we  earnestly  beseech  you,  therefore,  both  officers  and 
soldiers,  to  wake  from  your  lethargy.  If  you  offend  any  more,  do 
not  be  surprised  (if  I  punish  you).' 
"  Respect  this." 

"  On  the  seventh  day  of  the  eighth  month,  in  the  Sin-k'hae  year 
(13th  September,  1851),  while  at  the  city  of  Yung-gnan,  the 
celestial  king  issued  a  proclamation,  urging  every  officer  and  sol- 
dier, throughout  each  legion  and  each  camp,  to  display  a  public 
spirit,  and  not  on  any  account  to  manifest  selfishness,  but  to  be 
single-minded ;  so  as  to  be  able  to  answer  it  to  our  Heavenly 
Father,  our  Celestial  Elder  Brother,  and  to  ourselves.  From 
henceforth  it  is  commanded,  to  all  you,  soldiers  and  officers,  that 
whenever  you  kill  the  imps,  and  take  their  cities,  all  the  gold  and 
silver,  silks  and  satins,  with  precious  things,  which  are  obtained, 
must  not  be  secreted  for  private  use,  but  be  altogether  brought 
into  the  holy  treasury  of  our  celestial  court.  Those,  who  oflend 
against  this,  will  be  condemned. 

"  Respect  this." 

•'  On  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  the  ninth  month,  of  the  Sin-k'hae 
year  (30th  October,  1851),  whilst -at  the  city  of  Yung-gnan,  the 
celestial  king  issued  a  proclamation  to  all  the  officers  and  sol- 


304  TAI-PING-WANG. 

dicrs  throughout  the  host,  both  great  and  small,  earnestly  be- 
seeching them  to  obey  the  commands  of  heaven ;  with  joy  and 
exultation,  with  courage  and  ardor,  with  united  effort  and  energy, 
to  press  forward  in  the  contest,  reverently  obeying  the  injunctions 
given  us  by  our  Ileavenly  Father  and  Celestial  Elder  Brother. 
It  is  now  commanded  to  all  the  legions  that,  after  every  battle 
against  the  imps,  every  sergeant  shall  stand  and  record  the  names 
of  the  privates  under  his  command.  Those,  who  have  been  most 
distinguished  for  obeying  orders,  and  marching  forward,  are  to  be 
marked  with  a  circle,  to  indicate  their  merit ;  those,  who  have  been 
most  distinguished  for  disobeying  orders,  and  running  away,  are  to 
be  marked  with  a  cross,  to  designate  their  crime.  Those,  who 
have  been  distinguished  neither  one  way  nor  the  other,  are  to  be 
left  without  any  mark.  When  the  record  is  complete,  the  ser- 
geant is  to  take  the  book,  and  hand  it  up  to  the  centurion  ;  the 
centurion  is  to  give  it  to  the  leader  of  the  cohort ;  and  the  leader 
of  the  cohort  is  to  pass  it  over  to  the  commander  of  the  legion, 
who  is,  in  turn,  to  present  it  to  the  general,  and  the  general  to 
the  inspector-general,  who  shall  further  send  it  to  the  director- 
general,  and  the  director-general  shall  lay  it  before  the  minister 
of  state ;  the  minister  of  state  shall  further  communicate  it  to  the 
generalissimo,  who  shall  report  it  to  our  little  heaven,  in  order  to 
settle  the  degree  of  rank  to  which  each  one  shall  be  elevated  or 
degraded.  Small  merits  shall  be  requited  with  small  rewards, 
and  great  merits  shall  be  distinguished  by  conspicuous  promotions 
Let  every  one,  therefore,  put  forth  his  utmost  energies,  and  dis- 
play self-respect. 
"  Respect  this." 

"  On  the  12th  day  of  the  10th  month  of  the  Sin-k'hae  year  (17th 
Nov.,  1851),  whilst  at  the  city  of  Yung-gnan,  the  celestial  king 
issued  a  proclamation,  v-arnestly  beseeching  all  the  officers  and  sol- 


APPENDIX.  305 

diers,  throughout  the  host,  both  great  and  small,  to  obey  heaven's 
commands,  with  joy  and  exultation,  with  patience  and  endurance, 
with  courage  and  ardor,  with  united  strength  and  vigor,  to  press 
forward  in  the  contest,  reverently  obeying  the  laws  and  institutions 
of  our  Heavenly  Father,  and  Celestial  Elder  Brother.  Formerly 
we  issued  a  command,  saying,  '  It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  go  to 
heaven  ;  the  most  important  thing,  however,  is  determination  and 
patience ;  having  these,  you  will  certainly  succeed.  Therefore,  be 
resolute,  and  carefully  avoid  falling  into  error,  when  but  half-way 
there  ;  for  the  devil's  paths  are  devious  and  deflected.'  According 
to  present  appearances,  all  of  you,  soldiers  and  people,  must  know 
that  the  impious  fiends  have  various  ways  of  deceiving  people, 
and  that  the  devil's  ways  are  devious  and  deflected ;  further,  you 
must  know  that  our  former  declaration  to  you  was  correct.  Now, 
we  issue  this  special  proclamation  to  you,  soldiers  and  people, 
great  and  small,  earnestly  beseeching  you  to  be  patient  and  firm, 
not  moved  by  delusive  solicitations,  but  really  determined  implicitly 
to  obey  heaven,  and  faithfully  to  serve  your  country,  even  to  the 
end.  Your  Heavenly  Father  and  Celestial  Elder  Brother  have  their 
eyes  fixed  upon  you,  and  we  have  also  got  our  eyes  fixed  upon  you. 
We  further  command  that  those  meritorious  ministers,  who  have 
from  first  to  last  died  in  battle  and  ascended  to  heaven,  be  pro- 
moted to  rank  equal  to  that  of  director-general,  with  honors  descend- 
ing to  their  posterity ;  those  meritorious  officers,  also,  who  have 
borne  our  standards  in  the  fight,  and  arc  now  gone  to  heaven,  shall 
be  promoted  to  rank  equal  to  that  of  gcneral-in-chief,  or  imperial 
body-guard.  Those,  who  have  been  already  promoted,  have  their 
caps  and  coata  according  to  the  official  form  ;  those,  who  have  not 
been  promoted,  have  caps  like  the  sergeants.  Those,  who  have  been 
promoted  in  one  body,  and  those  who  have  not  been  promoted  in  an- 
other class,  may  all  come  up  into  our  little  heaven  ;  while  all  those 
meritorious  officers,  who,  together  with  us,  engage  in  attacking  the 


306  TAI-PING-WANG. 

-» 

hills  and  rivers  (of  China),  shall,  if  greatly  successful,  be  promoted  to 
be  ministers  of  state,  inspectors-general,  directors-general,  generals- 
in-chief,  and  imperial  body-guards  ;  the  very  smallest  of  them  shall 
be  commanders  of  legions,  with  honors  conferred  on  their  posterity, 
wearing  dragon-adorned  robes,  and  gem-bespangled  girdles,  standing 
in  our  celestial  court.  We  sincerely  announce  to  you  that,  since 
we  have  all  had  the  happiness  to  become  sons  and  daughters  of  our 
Heavenly  Father,  and  brothers  and  sisters  of  our  Celestial  Elder 
Brother,  we  shall  enjoy  incomparable  dignity  in  this  present  world, 
and  interminable  felicity  in  the  next  We  ask  you,  now,  whether 
of  all  honors  there  be  any  dignity  to  be  compared  to  this  ?  Further- 
more, wc  earnestly  beseech  all  soldiers  and  officers,  of  every  legion, 
exultingly  and  unitedly  to  obey  the  commands  and  requisitions  of 
our  Heavenly  Father  and  Celestial  Elder  Brother.  The  fiendish 
imps  are  full  of  artful  designs  ;  therefore,  we  earnestly  entreat  all 
of  you,  both  soldiers  and  officers,  to  be  on  your  guard,  and  do  not 
vainly  lament,  when  the  morning  dawns,  that  you  have  fallen  into 
the  devil's  wiles. 
"  Respect  this." 

"  On  the  25th  day  of  the  10th  month,  of  the  Sin-kliae  year  (30th 
Nov.,  1851),  while  at  Yung-gnan,  the  celestial  king  issued  a  pro- 
clamation, enjoining  all  the  officers  and  soldiers  throughout  the 
host,  both  great  and  small,  to  know  well  the  true  doctrine,  and 
follow  it ;  namely,  this :  our  Heavenly  Father,  the  Great  God,  and 
Supreme  Lord,  is  one  true  spirit  (God)  ;  besides  our  Heavenly 
Father,  the  Great  Sod,  and  Supreme  Lord,  there  is  no  spirit 
(God).  The  Great  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  and  Supreme 
Lord,  is  omniscient,  omnipotent,  and  omnipresent,  the  Supreme 
over  all.  There  is  not  an  individual  who  is  not  produced  and 
nourished  by  him.  He  is  Shang,  Supreme.  He  is  the  Te, 
Ruler.     Besides  the  great  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  and  Su- 


APPENDIX.  307 

preme  Tx)rd,  there  is  no  one  who  can  be  called  Shang,  and  no 
one  who  can  be  called  Te.  Therefore,  from  henceforth,  all  you, 
soldiers  and  officers,  may  desijBruate  us  as  your  lord,  and  that  is 
all.  You  must  not  call  us  supreme,  lest  you  should  encroach  upon 
the  designation  of  our  Heavenly  Father.  Our  Heavenly  Father  is 
our  Holy  Father,  and  our  Celestial  Elder  Brother  is  our  Holy 
Lord,  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  Hence,  our  Heavenly  Father 
and  Celestial  Elder  Brother  alone  are  holy ;  and  from  henceforth, 
all  you,  soldiers  and  officers,  may  designate  us  as  your  lord,  and 
that  is  all ;  but  you  must  not  call  us  holy,  lest  you  encroach  upon 
the  designation  of  our  Heavenly  Father  and  Celestial  Elder  Brother. 
The  Great  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  and  Supreme  Lord,  is  our 
Spiritual  Father,  our  Ghostly  Father.  Formerly  we  had  ordered 
you  to  designate  the  first  and  second  ministers  of  state,  together 
with  the  generab-in-chief  of  the  van  and  rear  of  the  army,  royal 
fathers,  which  was  a  temporary  indulgence,  in  conformity  with 
the  corrupt  customs  of  the  present  world  ;  but,  according  to  the 
true  doctrine,  this  was  a  slight  encroachment  on  the  prerogative 
of  our  Heavenly  Father  ;  for  our  Heavenly  Father  is  alone  entitled 
to  the  designation  of  Father.  We  have  now  appointed  the  chief 
minister  of  state  and  general-in-chief  to  be  designated  the  eastern 
king,  having  charge  of  all  the  states  in  the  eastern  region.  "We 
have  also  appointed  the  second  minister  of  state  and  assistant 
general-in-chief  to  be  designated  the  western  king,  having  charge 
of  all  the  states  in  the  western  region.  We  have  further  appointed 
the  general  of  the  advanced  guard  to  be  designated  the  southern 
king,  having  charge  of  all  the  states  in  the  southern  region ;  and 
we  have,  likewise,  appointed  the  general  of  the  rear-guard  to  be 
designated  the  northern  king,  having  charge  of  all  the  states  in 
the  northern  region.  We  liave,  furthermore,  appointed  our  brother 
Shih-tah-k'hae  to  be  assistant  king,  to  aid  in  sustaining  our  celes- 
tial court.    All  the  kings,  above  referred  to,  are  to  be  under  the 


308  TAI-PING-WANG. 

superintendence  of  the  eastern  king.    We  have,  also,  issued  a  pro- 
clamation designating  our  queen  as  the  lady  of  all  ladies  (empress), 
and  our  concubines  as  royal  ladies. 
"  Respect  this.'* 

"  On  the  27th  day  of  the  Ist  month,  of  the  Jin-tsze  year  (2d  March, 
1852),  at  the  city  of  Yung-gnan,  the  celestial  king  issued  a  pro- 
clamation, earnestly  beseeching  all  the  oDSccrs  and  soldiers,  through- 
out the  hosts,  great  and  smxdl,  male  and  female,  to  obey  the  com- 
mands of  heaven.  "We  now  especially  direct  our  brother,  Yang-Siu- 
tsing,  our  sister's  husband,  Seaou-Chaou-kwei,  our  brother,  Fung- 
Yun-san,  our  brother,  Wei-ching,  and  our  brother,  Shih-tah-k'hae, 
together  with  all  the  commanders  of  legions,  most  strictly  and  fre- 
quently to  inspect  the  soldiers  of  the  army,  whether  or  not  they 
offend  against  the  seventh  command  ;  for  if  they  do,  as  soon  as  it 
is  discovered,  they  shall  be  immediately  taken  up  and  beheaded,  as 
a  warning  to  all.  There  shall  assuredly  be  no  forgiveness  ;  and  we 
expressly  enjoin  upon  the  soldiers  and  oCSccrs  not  to  show  the  least 
leniency,  or  screen  the  offenders,  lest  we  bring  down  upon  ourselves 
the  indignation  of  the  Great  God,  our  Heavenly  Father.  Let 
every  one  be  on  his  guard. 

"  Respect  this." 

"  On  the  30th  day  of  the  2d  month,  of  the  Jin-tsze  year  (5th  April, 
1852),  at  Yung-gnan,  the  celestial  king  issued  a  proclamation,  ex- 
pressly enjoining  on  all  the  male  officers  and  female  officers,  through- 
out the  host,  to  obey  the  commands  of  heaven,  with  joy  and  exult- 
ation, firmness  and  patience,  courage  and  ardor,  valiantly  to  fight 
against  the  imps  (enemies),  for — 

*  Ix)t  tho  impish  fiends  amount  to  thousands  and  myriads, 
Thoy  will  hardly  escape  the  hand  of  our  Heavenly  Father. 
If  ho  could  make  the  land  and  the  sea  in  six  days. 


APPENDIX.  309 

You  may  easily  boliove  that  our  Ghostly  Father  is  a  hero. 
High  heaven  has  commissioned  you  to  kill  tho  impish  fiends  ; 
Our  Heavenly  Father  and  Celestial  Elder  Brother  havo  their  eyes  on  you. 
Let  the  male  and  female  officers  all  grasp  the  sword  ; 
As  for  your  apparel,  one  change  will  be  sufficient ; 
Unitedly  rouse  your  courage,  and  slay  the  fiends ; 
Let  gold  and  silver,  with  bag  and  baggage,  bo  disregarded  ; 
Divest  yourselves  of  worldly  motives,  and  look  to  heaven. 
Where  there  ore  golden  tiles  and  houses,  all  glorious  to  behold  ; 
In  heaven  above,  you  may  enjoy  happiness,  and  dignity,  in  the  extreme  j 
The  very  meanest  and  smallest  will  be  clothed  in  silks  and  satins ; 
The  males  will  be  adorned  with  dragon-embroidered  robes,  and  tho  fe- 
males with  flowers ; 
Let  each  one,  therefore,  bo  faithful,  and  exert  his  utmost  energies.' 

"  Respect  this." 

The  celestial  king  appends  the  following  proclamation  : 
*  We  hereby  command  you,  ministers  and  people,  to  make  a  dis- 
tinction between  males  and  females ;  men  are  to  manage  outside 
afiairs,  and  not  to  listen  to  what  goes  on  within ;  women  are  to 
manage  domestic  concerns,  and  not  to  trouble  themselves  about 
external  matters.  We,  therefore,  especially  command  that,  from 
henceforth,  outside  affairs  are  not  to  be  reported  inside,  and  inter- 
nal affairs  are  not  to  be  reported  outside.  As  to  the  inmates  of 
the  harem,  they  are  generally  to  be  termed  ladies,  and  ministers 
must  he  especially  careful  not  to  speak  of  the  names  and  surnames, 
rank  and  station,  of  the  inmates  of  the  harem  ;  these  must,  on  no 
account,  be  talked  about  or  discussed ;  should  any  offend  in  this 
particular,  they  shall  be  beheaded  without  mercy.  No  subject  is 
ever  to  look  upon  the  face  of  the  inmates  of  the  harem ;  but  every 
one  hang  down  his  head,  and  cast  down  his  eyes,  not  daring  to  lift 
them  up  from  the  ground  ;  for  whosoever  glances  at  the  faces  of 
the  inmates  of  the  harem  shall  be  beheaded  without  mercy.  What 
is  said  in  the  harem  must  never  be  reported  outside.      Should  any 


310  TAI-PING-WANG. 

subjects  or  female  officers  dare  to  report  outside  what  is  said  in  the 
harem,  they  shall  be  beheaded  without  mercy.  "WTiat  is  said  by 
any  subject  must  not  be  reported  inside  ;  if  the  speech  of  any  sub- 
ject is  reported  inside,  then  the  person  reporting  it  shall  be  be- 
headed without  mercy,  and  the  subject  who  uttered  the  speech 
shall  also  be  beheaded  without  mercy.  We  sincerely  announce  this 
to  you.  To  keep  the  harem  distinct,  is  the  foundation  of  good 
government  and  honest  morals.  It  is  not  that  we  are  desirous  of 
making  severe  restrictions  ;  but  we  wish  to  carry  out  the  holy  witt 
of  our  Heavenly  Father  and  Celestial  Elder  Brother,  in  beheading 
the  lewd,  and  sparing  the  correct.  Should  there  be  the  least  de- 
parture from  this  rule,  it  would  not  do  at  all.  Now  that  we  have 
issued  this  decree,  not  only  must  our  subjects,  in  the  present  day, 
obey,  but  throughout  our  celestial  dynasty  and  celestial  empire,  for 
myriads  and  myriads  of  years,  generation  after  generation,  whoever 
becomes  a  subject  of  this  state  must  comply  with  this  rule.  These 
are  our  words.' 
"  Respect  this." 


APPENDIX.  311 


NOTE  K. 

A  recent  number  of  ihe^**Friend  to  China,"  in  noticing  a  late 
manifesto  of  the  insurgents,  says :  "  At  one  blow  Tai-ping-wang 
abolish(»  the  idolatrous  and  other  superstitious  rites  observed  at 
births  and  marriages ;  directs  young  people  to  attend  daily  services 
at  church ;  commands  the  Sabbath  to  be  kept,  requiring  the  at- 
tendance at  public  worship  alike  of  young  and  old  on  that  holy 
day  ;  orders  an  officer  to  conduct  the  religious  service,  and  preach 
a  £Crmon  ;  and  authoritatively  appoints,  as  by  imperial  command, 
that  the  Word  of  God,  the  '  holy  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments' (the  identical  Protestant  version  of  the  .Bible,  commonly 
known  and  styled,  *  GutzlafTs  Version,'  and  towards  printing  which, 
in  former  times,  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  contributed 
pecuniary  aid)  be  made  the  text-book  for  instructing  the  Chinese 
youth  in  the  whole  empire." 


312  TAI-PING-WANG. 


NOTE    L. 

TAI-PING  LITERATURE. 

FORMS  OP  PRAYER. 

The  form  to  he  observed  in  seeking  the  forgiveness  of  sins : 

Ixjt  the  suppliant  kneel  down  in  the  sight  of  heaven,  and  pray 
to  the  great  God  to  forgive  his  sins.  Ho  may  either  employ  such 
words  as  occur,  or  he  may  use  a  written  form  ;  when  the  prayer  is 
over,  let  him  take  a  basin  of  water  and  wash  himself  clean,  or  if 
he  perform  his  ablutions  in  the  river,  it  will  be  still  better.  AMien 
he  has  obtaine<l  freedom  from  sin,  let  him,  morning  and  evening, 
continue  to  worship  the  great  God,  praying  that  God  would  regard 
him  with  favor,  and  grant  him  his  Holy  Spirit  to  change  his 
heart.  At  every  meal  also  he  should  give  thanks  to  God,  and 
every  seventh  day  worship  and  praise  God  for  his  mercies.  Let 
him  also  constantly  obey  the  ten  commandments,  and  not  on  any 
account  worship  the  corrupt  spirits  (gods)  that  are  in  the  world, 
neither  let  him  do  any  corrupt  thing.  In  this  way  people  may 
become  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  great  God  :  in  the  present 
life  they  shall  be  the  objects  of  the  divine  favor,  and  after  death 
their  souls  will  ascend  to  heaven,  where  they  shall  enjoy  endless 
bliss.  All  the  people  throughout  the  world,  no  matter  whether 
male  or  female,  Chinese  or  foreigners,  must  pursue  this  method,  or 
they  cannot  go  to  heaven. 


APPENDIX.  313 

A  prayer  for  a  penitent  sinner: 

I,  thine  unworthy  son,  or  daughter,  kneeling  down  upon  the 
ground,  with  a  true  heart  repent  of  my  sins,  and  pray  thee,  the 
great  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  of  thine  infinite  goodness  and  mer- 
cy, to  forgive  my  former  ignorance  and  frequent  transgressions  of 
the  divine  commands ;  earnestly  beseech  thee,  of  thy  great  favor, 
to  pardon  all  my  former  sins,  and  enable  me  to  repent,  and  lead  a 
new  life,  so  that  my  soul  may  ascend  to  heaven.  May  I  from 
henceforth  sincerely  repent  and  forsake  my  evil  ways,  not  wor- 
shiping corrupt  spirits  (gods),  nor  practicing  perverse  things, 
but  obey  the  divine  commands.  I  also  earnestly  pray  thee,  the 
great  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  constantly  to  bestow  on  me  thy 
Holy  Spirit,  and  change  my  wicked  heart ;  never  more  allow  me 
to  be  deceived  by  malignant  demons,  but  perpetually  regarding 
me  with  favor,  forever  deliver  mc  from  the  evil  one ;  and  every 
day  bestowing  upon  me  food  and  clothing,  exempt  me  from  calami- 
ty and  woe,  granting  me  tranquillity  in  the  present  world,  and  the 
enjoyment  of  endless  happiness  in  heaven  :  through  the  merits  of 
our  Saviour  and  Heavenly  Brother,  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  redeemed 
us  from  sin.  I  also  pray  the  great  God,  our  Father  who  is  in 
heaven,  that  his  will  may  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  done  in  heaven. 
That  thou  wouldst  look  down  and  grant  this  my  request,  is  my 
heart's  sincere  desire. 

A  prayer  to  God  for  morning  or  evening : 

I,  thine  unworthy  son,  or  daughter,  kneeling  down  on  the  ground, 
pray  to  thee,  the  great  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  that  thoil 
wouldst  grant  me  thy  merciful  protection,  and  constantly  bestow 
♦ipon  me  thy  Holy  Spirit,  to  change  my  wicked  heart,  and  never 
more  allow  me  to  be  deceived  by  demoniacal  influences  ;  but  per- 
petually regarding  me  with   favor,  that  thou  wouldst  forever 

deliver  me  from  the  evil  one,  through  the  merits  of  our  Saviour 
14 


314  TAI-PING-WANG. 

and  Heavenly  Brother,  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  redeemed  us  from  sin. 
I  also  pray  thee  the  great  God,  our  Father  in  heaven,  that  thy  will 
may  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  done  in  heaven.  That  thou  wouldst 
look  down  and  grant  this  my  request,  is  my  heart's  sincere  de- 
sire. 

Thanksgiving  to  be  offered  at  meals  : 

We  thank  thee,  0  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  and  pray  that 
thou  wouldst  bless  us  with  daily  food  and  raiment,  exempt  us 
from  calamity  and  afHiction,  and  grant  that  our  souls  may  go  up 
to  heaven. 

A  prayer  in  the  time  of  sickness  and  affliction : 

I,  thine  unworthy  son,  or  daughter,  kneeling  down  upon  the 
ground,  beseech  thee,  the  great  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  now 
that  I,  thine  unworthy  son,  or  daughter,  am  pressed  by  sickness  or 
affliction,  that  thou  wouldst  of  thy  mercy  deliver  me,  cause  the 
affliction  to  be  speedily  removed,  and  my  body  to  be  restored  to 
health  ;  should  the  evil  one  attempt  to  injure  me,  I  earnestly  pray 
thee,  the  great  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  to  display  thy  divine 
majesty,  and  destroy  all  such  demoniacal  influences,  througli  the 
merits  of  our  Saviour  and  Elder  Brother,  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  re- 
deemed us  from  sin.  I  also  pray  thee,  the  great  God,  our  Father 
in  heaven,  that  thy  will  may  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  done  in 
heaven.  That  thou  wouldst  look  down  and  grant  this  my  request, 
is  my  heart's  sincere  desire. 

On  occasions  of  birth-days,  thanksgiving  of  women  after  child- 
birth, bringing  home  a  wife,  or  marrying  of  a  daughter,  with  all 
such  fortunate  occurrences,  presentations  of  animals,  wine,  tea, 
and  rice,  should  be  offered  up  to  the  great  God,  accompanied  by 
the  following  prayer : 


APPENDIX.  316 

I,  thine  unworthy  son,  or  daughter,  kneeling  down  upon  the 
ground,  present  my  supplications  to  thee,  the  great  God,  our 
Heavenly  Father.  I,  thine  unworthy  son,  or  daughter,  celebrating 
this  birth-day,  presenting  this  thanksgiving,  or  contracting  this 
marriage,  reverently  prepare  animals,  wine,  tea,  and  rice,  offering 
them  up  to  thee,  the  great  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  earnestly 
beseeching  thee  to  bless  me,  thine  unworthy  son,  or  daughter,  with 
prosperity  in  our  family,  and  everything  according  to  our  desire, 
through  the  merits  of  our  Saviour  and  Elder  Brother,  the  Lord 
Jesus,  who  redeemed  us  from  sin.  I  also  pray  thee,  the  great 
Ood,  our  Father  in  heaven,  that  thy  will  may  be  done  on  earth  as 
it  is  done  in  heaven.  That  thou  wouldst  look  down  and  grant 
this  my  request,  is  my  heart's  sincere^esire. 

On  occasion  of  constructing  a  hearth,  building  a  house,  piling 
up  stones,  or  opening  up  ground,  presentations  of  animals,  wine, 
tea,  and  rice,  should  be  offered  up  to  the  great  God,  accompanied 
by  the  following  prayer  : 

I,  thine  unworthy  son,  or  daughter,  kneeling  down  upon  the 
ground,  present  my  supplications  to  thee,  the  great  God,  our  Heav- 
enly Father.  I,  thine  unworthy  son,  or  daughter,  having  con- 
structed this  fire-place,  built  this  house,  piled  up  these  stones,  or 
opened  up  this  ground,  reverently  prepare  animals,  wine,  tea,  and 
rice,  offering  them  up  to  thee,  the  great  God,  our  Heavenly  Father, 
earnestly  beseeching  thee  favorably  to  regard  and  support  me, 
thine  unworthy  son,  or  daughter,  granting  peace  to  every  member 
of  my  household,  both  great  and  small,  warding  off  every  kind  of 
fear  or  dread,  causing  all  demoniacal  influences  to  retire,  and 
everything  to  happen  according  to  our  wish,  accompanied  ])y  great 
prosperity  and  bliss,  through  the  merits  of  our  Saviour  and  Elder 
Brother,  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  redeemed  us  from  sin.  I  also  pray 
thee,  the  great  God,  our  Father  in  heaven,  that  thy  will  may  be 


316  TAI-PING-WANG. 

done  on  earth  as  it  is  done  in  heaven.    That  thou  wouldst  look 
down  and  grant  this  my  request,  is  my  heart's  sincere  desire. 

Whenever  any  work  is  undertaken,  people  should  cry  out  with 
a  loud  voice,  saying,  Having  received  the  commands  of  the  great 
God  and  supreme  Lord,  the  commands  of  the  Saviour  of  the  world, 
the  Lord  Jesus,  and  the  complete  commands  of  the  celestial  king, 
the  sovereign  director  of  the  great  doctrine  (we  undertake  this 
work) ;  and  may  every  kind  of  fear  and  dread  be  far  away,  may 
demoniacal  influences  be  compelled  to  retire,  may  everything 
happen  according  to  our  wish,  and  we  obtain  great  prosperity 
and  bliss. 

On  funeral  occasions  no  Buddhistic  ceremonies  are  to  be  em- 
ployed ;  having  placed  the  body  in  a  coflin,  put  on  mourning,  and 
conducted  the  funeral  to  the  place  of  burial,  presentations  of  ani- 
mals, wine,  tea,  and  rice,  should  be  ofifered  up  to  the  great  God, 
accompanied  by  the  following  prayer  : 

I,  thine  unworthy  son,  or  daughter,  kneeling  down  upon  the 
ground,  present  my  supplications  to  thee,  the  great  God,  our 
Heavenly  Father.  There  is  here  present  the  soul  of  thine  unwor- 
thy servant,  such  a  one,  who  on  a  certain  day,  month,  and  hour, 
departed  this  life ;  having  placed  the  body  in  a  coffin,  put  on 
mourning,  and  conducted  the  funeral  to  the  place  of  burial,  I  rev- 
erently prepare  animals,  wine,  tea,  and  rice,  ofiFering  them  up  to 
thee,  the  great  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  earnestly  beseeching 
thee,  of  thy  favor  to  admit  the  soul  of  thine  unworthy  servant, 
such  a  one,  up  into  heaven,  to  enjoy  abundant  happiness  with 
thee.  I  also  pray  thee,  the  great  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  favor- 
ably to  regard  and  support  me,  thine  unworthy  son,  or  daughter, 
granting  peace  to  every  member  of  my  household,  both  great  and 
small,  warding  off  every  kind  of  fear  and  dread,  causing  all 
demoniacal  influences  to  retire,  and  everything  to  happen  accord- 


APPENDIX.  317 

ing  to  our  wish,  accompanied  by  great  prosperity  and  bliss, 
through  the  merits  of  our  Saviour  and  Elder  Brother,  the  Lord 
Jesus,  who  redeemed  us  from  sin.  I  also  pray  thee,  the  great 
God,  our  Father  in  heaven,  that  thy  will  may  be  done  on  earth  as 
it  is  done  in  heaven.  That  thou  wouldst  look  down  and  grant 
this  my  request,  is  my  heart's  sincere  desire. 

When  the  coffin  is  closed  down,  the  mourning  put  on,  the  body 
carried  out  to  the  place  of  interment,  and  lowered  down  into  the 
sepulchre,  all  should  cry  out  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  In  obedi- 
ence to  the  commands  of  the  great  God,  our  supreme  Lord,  in 
obedience  to  the  commands  of  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  the  Lord 
Jesus,  and  in  obedience  to  the  complete  commands  of  the  celestial 
king,  the  sovereign  director  of  the  great  doctrine,  we  pray  that 
every  kind  of  fear  and  dread  maybe  far  away,  demoniacal  influ- 
ences be  compelled  to  retire,  may  everything  happen  according  to 
our  wish,  and  we  obtain  great  prosperity  and  bliss. 

Every  seventh-day  is  to  be  observed  as  a  day  of  worship,  and 
for  thanking  the  great  God  for  his  goodness. 

Every  time  that  the  four  days  of  the  twenty-eight  constellations 
called  Heu,  Fang,  Sing,  and  Maou,  occur,  is  to  be  observed  as  a 
day  of  worship. 

The  form  to  be  used  in  praising  God  is  as  follows: 

We  praise  God,  our  Holy  and  Heavenly  Father. 
We  praise  Jesos,  th^  Holy  Lord  and  Saviour  of  the  world. 
We  praise  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Sacred  Intelligence. 
We  praise   the  three  persons,  who.  united,  constitute  one  true 
Spirit  (God). 

Then  follows  a  hymn  : 

How  different  are  the  true  doctrines  from  the  doctrines  of  the        o 
world !  J 


318  TAI-PING-WANG. 

They  save  the  souls  of  man,  and  lead  to  the  enjoyment  of  endless 

bliss  : 
The  wise  receive  them  with  exultation,  as  the  source  of  their  hap- 


The  foolish,  when  awakened,   understand  thereby  the  way   to 

heaven. 
Our  Heavenly  Father,  of  his  great  mercy  and  unbounded  good- 
ness, 
Spared  not  his  first-born  Son,  but  sent  him  down  into  the  world, 
To  give  his  life  for  the  redemption  of  all  our  transgressions, 
The  knowledge  of  which,  coupled  with  repentance,  saves  the  souls 
of  men. 

The  ten  celestial  commands,  which  are  to  be  constantly  ob- 
served : 

The  first  command :  Thou  shalt  honor  and  worship  the  great 
God. 

The  great  God  is  the  universal  Father  of  all  men,  in  every 
nation  under  heaven.  Every  man  is  produced  and  nourished  by 
him :  every  man  is  also  protected  by  him :  every  man  ought, 
therefore,  morning  and  evening,  to  honor  and  worship  him,  with 
acknowledgments  of  his  goodness.  It  is  a  common  saying,  that 
heaven  produces,  nourishes,  and  protects  men.  Also,  that  being 
provided  with  food  we  must  not  deceive  heaven.  Therefore, 
whoever  does  not  worship  the  great  God,  breaks  the  commands 
of  heaven. 

The  hymn  says— 

Imperial  heaven,  the  Supreme  God,  is  the  true  spirit  (God)  : 
Worship  him  every  morning  and  evening,  and  you  will  be  taken 

up; 
You  ought  deeply  to  consider  the  ten  celestial  commands, 


APPENDIX.  319 

And  not  by  your  foolishness  obscure  the  right  principles  of  na- 
ture. 

The  second  command:  Thou  shalt  not  worship  corrupt  spirits 
(gods). 

The  great  God  says,  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  spirits  (gods) 
beside  me.  Therefore,  all  besides  the  great  God  are  corrupt 
spirits  (gods),  deceiving  and  destroying  mankind  ;  they  must  on  no 
account  be  worshiped  :  whoever  worships  the  whole  class  of  cor- 
rupt spirits  (gods),  offends  against  the  commands  of  heaven. 

The  hymn  says — 

Corrupt  devils  very  easily  delude  the  souls  of  men  : 
If  you  perversely  believe  in  them,  you  will  at  last  go  down  to  hell. 
We  exhort  you  all,  brave  people,  to  awake  from  your  lethargy, 
And  early  make  your  peace  with  your  exalted  Heavenly  Father. 

The  third  command :  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the 
great  God  in  vain. 

The  name  of  the  great  God  is  Jehovah,  which  men  must  not 
take  in  vain.  Whoever  takes  God's  name  in  vain,  and  rails 
against  heaven,  offends  against  this  command. 

The  hymn  says — 
Our  exalted  Heavenly  Father  is  infinitely  honorable  ; 
Those  who  disobey  and  profane  his  name,  seldom  come  to  a  good 

end. 
If  unacquainted  with  the  true  doctrine,  you  should  be  on  your 

guard, 
For  those  who  wantonly  blaspheme  involve  themselves  in  endless 

crime. 

The  fourth  command :  On  the  seventh  day,  the  day  of  worship, 
you  should  praise  the  great  God  for  his  goodness. 


320  TAl-PING-WANG. 

In  the  beginninjT,  the  great  God  made  heaven  and  earth,  land 
and  sea,  men  and  things,  in  six  days,  and  having  finished  his  works 
on  the  seventh  day,  he  called  it  the  day  of  rest  (or  Sabbath)  : 
therefore,  all  the  men  of  the  world,  who  enjoy  the  blessing  of  the 
great  God,  should  on  every  seventh  day  especially  reverence  and 
worship  the  great  God,  and  praise  him  for  his  goodness. 

TVie  hymn  says — 

All  the  happiness  enjoyed  in  the  world  comes  from  heaven  ; 
It  is  therefore  reasonable  that  men  should  give  thanks  and  sing. 
At  the  daily  morning  and  evening  meal  there  shouM  be  thanks- 
giving, 
But  on  the  seventh  day,  the  worship  should  be  more  intense. 

The  fifth  command:  Thou  shalt  honor  thy  father  and  thy 
mother,  that  thy  days  may  Imj  prolonged.  Whoever  disobeys  his 
parents  breaks  the  command. 

The  hymn  says — 

History  records  that  Shun  honored  his  parents  to  the  end  of  his 

days. 
Causing  them  to  experience  the  intenscst  pleasure  and  delight : 
August  heaven  will  abundantly  reward  all  who  act  thus. 
And  do  not  disappoint  the  expectation  of  the  authors  of  their 

being. 

The  sixth  command :     Thou  shalt  not  kill,  or  injure  men. 

He  who  kills  another  kills  himself,  and  he  who  injures  another 
injures  himself.  Whoever  does  either  of  these  breaks  the  above 
command. 

The  hymn  says — 

The  whole  world  is  one  family,  and  all  men  are  brethren, 
How  can  they  be  permitted  to  kill  and  destroy  one  another  ? 


APPENDIX.  321 

The  outward  form  and  the  inward  principle  are  both  conferred  by 


Allow  every  one,  then,  to  enjoy  the  ease  and  comfort  which  he 
desires. 

The  seventh  command :  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery  nor 
anything  unclean. 

All  the  men  in  the  world  are  brethren,  and  all  the  women 
in  the  world  are  sisters.  Among  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
the  celestial  hall,  the  males  are  on  one  side,  and  the  females  on 
the  other,  and  are  not  allowed  to  intermix.  Should  either  men  or 
women  practice  lewdness,  they  are  considered  outcasts,  as  having 
offended  against  one  of  the  chief  commands  of  heaven.  The  cast- 
ing of  amorous  glances,  the  harboring  of  lustful  imaginations,  the 
smoking  of  foreign  tobacco  {opium),  or  the  singing  of  libidinous 
songs,  must  all  be  considered  as  breaches  of  this  command. 

Tfie  hymn  says — 

Lust  and  lewedness  constitute  the  chief  transgression  ; 

Those  who  practice  it  become  outcasts,  and  are  the  objects  of  pity. 

If  you  wish  to  enjoy  the  substantial  happiness  of  heaven. 

It  is  necessary  to  deny  yourself  and  earnestly  cultivate  virtue. 

Vie  eighth  command  :    Thou  shalt  not  rob,  or  steal.\ 

Riches  and  poverty  are  determined  by  the  great  God,  but  who- 
soever robs  or  plunders  the  property  of  others,  transgresses  this 
command. 

The  hymn  says — 

Best  contented  with  your  station,  however  poor,  and  do  not  steal. 
Robbery  and  violence  are  low  and  abandoned  practices. 
Those  who  injure  others  really  injure  themselves. 
Let  the  noble-minded  among  you  immediately  reform. 
U* 


322  TAI-PING-WANG. 

The  ninth  command :    Thou  shalt  not  otter  falsehood. 

All  those  who  tell  lies,  and  indulge  in  devilish  deceits,  with  every 
kind  of  coarse  and  abandoned  talk,  ofibnd  against  this  command. 

The  hymn  says — 
Lying  discourse  and  unfounded  stories  must  all  be  abandoned  ; 
Deceitful  and  wicked  words  are  offenses  against  heaven. 
Much  talk  will  in  the  end  bring  evil  on  the  speakers ; 
It  is,  then,  much  better  to  be  cautious,  and  regulate  one's  own  mind. 

The  tenth  command :  Thou  shalt  not  conceive  a  covetous 
desire. 

WTieu  a  man  looks  upon  the  beauty  of  another's  wife  and  daugh- 
ters with  covetous  desires,  or  when  he  regards  the  elegance  of 
another  man's  possessions  with  covetous  desires,  or  when  he  en- 
gages in  gambling,  he  offends  against  this  command. 

The  hymn  says —  « 

In  your  daily  conduct,  do  not  harbor  covetous  desires. 
When  involved  in  the  sea  of  lust,  the  consequences  are  very  serious. 
The  above  injunctions  were  handed  down  on  Mount  Sinai, 
And  to  this  day  the  celestial  commands  retain  all  their  fbrce. 

A  few  verses — 

Repent  an^  believe  in  the  great  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  and 
you  will  in  the  end  obtain  happiness. 

Rebel  and  resist  the  great  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  and  you  will 
surely  weep  for  it. 

Those  who  obey  heaven's  commands  and  worship  the  true  Spirit 
(God),  when  they  part  with  the  present  world,  will  forth- 
with ascend  to  heaven. 

Those  who  follow  the  world's  customs,  and  comply  with  the  devil's 
wishes,  when  they  come  to  their  end,  will  find  it  hard  to 
escape  from  hell. 


APPENDIX. 

Those  who  believe  in  depraved  spirits  will,  at  last,  become  the 
slaves"  of  depraved  spirits. 

Those  who,  in  life,  get  involved  in  the  devil's  meshes,  will,  when 
they  die,  be  taken  in  the  devil's  clutches. 

Those  who  worship  God,  are  his  sons  and  daughters :  Having  do- 
rived  their  origin  from  heaven,  they  will  finally  ascend  to 
heaven. 

A  hymn —  '       <». 

God  is  the  superintending  Lord, 

Do  not  be  agitated  by  alarms : 
Rely  on  him  with  a  true  heart. 

And  then  you  will  go  to  heaven. 
Worship  God  in  sincerity. 

Believe  not  in  human  fables  ; 
Abandon  all  worldly  views, 

^  And  then  you  will  go  to  heaven. 

Another  hymn — 

The  true  Spirit  (God)  of  heaven  is  one  God  (Shang-ti). 

But  men  in  general  are  ignorant  and  walk  in  error : 

When  you  bow  down  to  images  of  clay,  wood,  and  stone, 

We  beg  to  ask,  how  long  have  you  parted  with  your  reason  ? 

Do  not  say  that  to  comply  with  heaven  is  to  follow  foreigners. 

For  the  generality  of  mankind  are  stupid  and  disobedient. 

Think  of  the  reverence  for  the  Deity  displayed  by  T'hang  and  Wan, 

And  courageously  break  through  the  devil's  barrier. 

Comply  with  heaven  and  be  happy,  disobey  and  perish. 

What  is  the  use  of  disputing  about  minor  matters  ? 

You  are  none  of  you  the  children  of  Buddhist  idols, 

Why  do  you  not,  then,  repent,  and  strive  to  get  to  heaven  ? 


324  TAI-PING-WANG. 


THE  TRIMETRICAL  CLASSIC* 

The  great  God 

Made  heaven  and  earth, 

Both  land  and  sea, 

And  all  things  therein. 

In  six  days, 

He  made  the  whole. 

Man  the  lord  of  all. 

Was  endowed  with  glory  and  honor. 

Every  seventh  day  worship. 

In  acknowledgment  of  heaven's  favor  : 

Let  all  under  heaven 

Keep  their  hearts  in  reverence. 

It  is  said  that  in  former  times, 

A  foreign  nation  was  commanded 

To  honor  God ; 

The  nation's  name  was  Israel. 

Their  twelve  tribes 

Removed  into  Egypt ; 

Where  God  favored  them, 

And  their  posterity  increased. 

Then  a  king  arose, 

Into  whose  heart  the  devil  entered  ; 

He  envied  their  prosperity. 

And  inflicted  pain  and  misery. 

Ordering  the  daughters  to  be  preserved, 

But  not  allowing  the  sons  to  live  ; 

Their  bondage  was  severe. 

And  very  difficult  to  bear. 

•  Each  line  containiDg  three  words,  and  each  verse  four  llnee. 


APPENDIX. 

The  great  God 
Viewed  them  with  pity, 
And  commanded  Moses 
To  return  to  his  family. 
He  commanded  Aaron 
To  go  and  meet  Moses ; 
When  both  addressed  the  kmg, 
And  wrought  divers  miracles. 
The  king  hardened  his  heart, 
And  would  not  let  them  go : 
Wherefore  God  was  angry, 
And  sent  lice  and  locusts. 
He  also  sent  flies, 
Together  with  frogs. 
Which  entered  their  palaces. 
And  crept  into  their  ovens. 
When  the  king  still  refused, 
The  river  was  turned  to  blood ; 
And  the  water  became  bitter 
Throughout  all  Egypt. 
God  sent  boils  and  blains, 
With  pestilence  and  murrain ; 
He  also  sent  hail, 
Which  was  very  grievous. 
The  king  still  refusing, 
He  slew  their  first-born  ; 
When  the  king  of  Egypt 
Had  no  resource ; 
But  let  them  go 
Out  of  his  land. 
The  great  God 
Upheld  and  sustained  them, 


325 


TAI-PING-WANG. 

By  day  in  a  cloud, 

By  nij^ht  in  a  pillar  of  fire. 

The  great  God 

Himself  saved  them. 

The  king  hardened  his  heart, 

And  led  his  armies  in  pursuit ; 

But  God  was  angry, 

And  displayed  his  majesty. 

Arrived  at  the  lied  Sea, 

The  waters  were  spread  abroad  ; 

The  people  of  Israel 

Were  very  much  afraid. 

The  pursuers  overtook  them. 

But  God  stayed  their  course ; 

He  himself  fought  for  them, 

And  the  people  had  no  trouble. 

He  caused  the  Red  Sea 

"With  its  waters  to  divide  ; 

To  stand  up  as  a  wall. 

That  they  might  pass  between. 

The  people  of  Israel 

Marched  with  a  steady  step, 

As  though  on  dry  ground, 

And  thus  saved  their  lives. 

The  pursuers  attempting  to  cross, 

Their  wheels  were  taken  ofiT; 

When  the  waters  closed  upon  them, 

And  they  were  all  drowned. 

The  great  God 

Displayed  his  power, 

And  the  people  of  Israel 

Were  all  preserved. 


APPENDIX.  327 

When  they  came  to  the  desert, 

They  had  nothing  to  eat ; 

But  the  great  God 

Bade  them  not  to  be  afraid. 

He  sent  down  manna, 

For  each  man  a  pint ; 

It  was  as  sweet  as  honey. 

And  satisfied  their  appetites.  ^ 

The  people  lusted  much, 

And  wished  to  eat  flesh, 

When  quails  were  sent. 

By  the  million  of  bushels. 

At  the  Mount  Sinai, 

Miracles  were  displayed ; 

And  Moses  was  commanded 

To  make  tables  of  stone. 

The  great  God 

Gave  his  celestial  commands. 

Amounting  to  ten  precepts. 

The  breach  of  which  would  not  be  forgiven. 

He  himself  wrote  them, 

And  gave  them  to  Moses ; 

The  celestial  law 

Cannot  be  altered. 

In  after-ages. 

It  was  sometimes  disobeyed. 

Through  the  devil's  temptations. 

When  men  fell  into  misery. 

But  the  great  God, 

Out  of  pity  to  mankind. 

Sent  his  first-bom  Son 

To  come  down  into  the  world. 


328  TAI-PING-WANG. 

His  name  is  Jesas, 

The  Lord  and  Saviour  of  men, 

Who  redeems  them  from  sin, 

By  the  endurance  of  extreme  misery. 

Upon  the  cross, 

They  nailed  his  body ; 

Where  he  shed  his  precious  blood, 

To  save  all  mankind. 

Three  days  after  his  death, 

He  rose  from  the  dead : 

And  during  forty  days. 

He  discoursed  on  heavenly  things. 

When  he  was  about  to  ascend, 

He  commanded  his  disciples 

To  communicate  his  Gospel, 

And  proclaim  his  revealed  will. 

Those  who  believe  will  be  saved, 

And  ascend  up  to  heaven  ; 

But  those  who  do  not  believe, 

Will  be  the  first  to  be  condemned. 

Throughout  the  whole  world, 

There  is  only  one  God  (Shang-te) ; 

The  great  Lord  and  Ruler, 

Without  a  second. 

The  Chinese,  in  early  ages. 

Were  regarded  by  God ; 

Together  with  foreign  states 

They  walked  in  one  way. 

From  the  time  of  Pwan-koo,* 

Down  to  the  three  dynasties, 

*  The  first  man  spoken  of  by  the  Chinese. 


APPENDIX. 

They  honored  God, 

As  history  records. 

Phang  of  the  Shang  dynasty, 

And  Wan  of  the  Chow, 

Honored  God 

With  the  intensest  feeling. 

The  inscription  on  T'hang*s  bathing-tub 

Inculcated  daily  renovation  of  mind ; 

And  God  commanded  him, 

To  assume  the  government  of  the  empire. 

Wan  was  very  respectful, 

And  intelligently  served  God ; 

So  that  the  people  who  submitted  to  him, 
Were  two  out  of  every  three. 

When  Tsin  obtained  the  empire, 

He  was  infatuated  with  the  genii ; 

And  the  nation  has  been  deluded  by  the  devil 

For  the  last  two  thousand  years. 

Seuen  and  Woo,  of  the  Han  dynasty, 

Both  followed  this  bad  example ; 

So  that  the  mad  rebellion  increased, 

In  imitation  of  Tain's  misrule. 

When  Woo  arrived  at  old  age, 

He  repented  of  his  folly, 

And  lamented  that,  from  his  youth  up. 

He  had  always  followed  the  wrong  road. 

Miog,  of  the  Han  dynasty, 

Welcomed  the  institutions  of  Buddha, 

And  set  up  temples  and  monasteries, 

To  the  great  injury  of  the  country. 

But  Hwuy,  of  the  Sung  dynasty, 

Was  still  more  mad  and  infatuated, 


329 


330  TAI-PING-WANG. 

For  he  changed  the  name  of  Shang-te  (God) 

Into  that  of  Yuh-hwang  (the  pearly  emperor) 

But  the  great  God 

Is  the  supreme  Lord 

Over  all  the  world. 

The  Great  Father  in  heaven. 

His  name  is  most  honorable, 

To  be  handed  down  through  distant  ages : 

Who  was  this  Hwuy, 

That  he  dared  to  alt^r  it  ? 

It  was  meet  that  this  same  Hwuy 

Should  be  taken  by  the  Tartars  ; 

And,  together  with  his  son, 

Perish  in  the  northern  desert. 

From  Hwuy,  of  the  Sung  dynasty, 

Up  to  the  present  day, 

For  these  seven  hundred  years. 

Men  have  sunk  deeper  and  deeper  in  error. 

With  the  doctrine  of  God 

They  have  not  been  acquainted ; 

While  the  king  of  Hades 

Has  deluded  them  to  the  utmost. 

The  great  God  displays* 

Liberality  deep  as  the  sea ; 

But  the  devil  has  injured  man 

In  a  most  outrageous  manner. 

God  is,  therefore,  displeased. 

And  has  sent  his  Son,f 

*  From  this  part  of  the  book  the  reference  appears  to  be  to  the  leader 
of  the  insurrection. 

t  By  God's  Son  is  here  meant  Hung-sia-tshuen,  the  leader  of  the  insur- 
rection. 


APPENDIX.  331 

With  orders  to  come  down  into  the  world, 

Having  first  studied  the  classics. 

In  the  Tfhg-yew  year  (1837) 

He  was  received  up  into  heaven, 

Where  the  afifairs  of  heaven 

Were  clearly  pointed  out  to  him. 

The  great  God 

Personally  instructed  him, 

Gave  him  odes  and  documents, 

And  communicated  to  him  the  true  doctrine. 

Qod  also  gave  him  a  seal, 

And  conferred  upon  him  a  sword, 

Connected  with  authority, 

And  majesty  irresistible. 

He  bade  him,  together  with  the  Elder  Brother, 

Namely  Jesus, 

To  drive  away  impish  fiends. 

With  the  coSperation  of  angels. 

There  was  one  who  looked  on  with  envy. 

Namely  the  king  of  Hades ; 

Who  displayed  much  malignity. 

And  acted  like  a  devilish  serpent. 

But  the  Great  God, 

With  a  high  hand. 

Instructed  his  Son* 

To  subdue  this  fiend  ; 

And,  having  conquered  him, 

To  show  him  no  favor. 

And,  in  gpite  of  his  envious  eye, 

He  damped  all  his  courage. 

By  the  Son  is  meant  the  leader  of  the  insurrection. 


332  ,  TAI-PING-WANG. 

Having  overcome  the  fiend, 

He  returned  to  heaven, 

Where  the  great  God 

Gave  him  great  authority. 

The  celestial  mother  was  kind,* 

And  exceedingly  gracious — 

Beautiful  and  noble  in  the  extreme, 

Far  beyond  all  compare. 

The  celestial  Elder  Brother's  wifef 

Was  virtuous  and  very  considerate, 

Constantly  exhorting  the  Elder  Brother, 

To  do  things  deliberately. 

The  great  God, 

Out  of  love  to  mankind. 

Again  commissioned  his  Son, 

To  come  down  into  the  world  : 

And  when  he  sent  him  down, 

He  charged  him  not  to  be  afraid. 

I  am  with  you,  said  he, 

To  superintend  everything. 

In  the  Mow-shin  year  (1848), 

The  Son  was  troubled  and  distressed, 

When  the  great  God 

Appeared  on  his  behalf. 

Bringing  Jesus  with  him, 

They  both  came  down  into  the  world  ; 

Where  he  instructed  his  Son 

How  to  sustain  the  weight  of  government. 

God  has  set  up  his  Son 

*  By  the  celestial  mother  seems  intended  the  mother  of  Jesas. 
t  By  the  Elder  Brother's  wife,  judging  from  the  context,  is  meant  tho 
wife  of  Jesus. 


APPENDIX.  333 

To  endure  forever, 

To  defeat  corrupt  machinations, 

And  to  display  majesty  and  authority  ; 

Also  to  judge  the  world, 

To  divide  the  righteons  from  the  wicked, 

And  consign  them  to  the  misery  of  heir, 

Or  bestow  on  them  the  joys  of  heaven. 

Heaven  manages  everything. 

Heaven  sustains  the  whole : 

Let  all  beneath  the  sky 

Come  and  acknowledge  the  new  monarch. 

Little  children, 

Worship  God, 

Keep  his  commandments, 

And  do  not  disobey. 

Let  your  minds  be  refined, 

And  be  not  depraved  ; 

The  great  God 

Constantly  surveys  you. 

You  must  refine  yourselves  well, 

And  not  be  depraved. 

Vice  willingly  practiced 

Is  the  first  step  to  misery. 

To  insure  a  good  end, 

You  must  make  a  good  beginning  ; 

An  error  of  a  hair's  breadth 

May  lead  to  a  discrepancy  of  1,000  le. 

Be  careful  about  little  things. 

And  watch  the  minute  springs  of  action ; 

The  great  God 

Is  not  to  be  deceived. 

Little  children, 


334  TAI-PING-WANG. 

Arouse  your  energies ; 

The  laws  of  high  heaven 

Admit  not  of  infraction. 

Upon  the  good,  blessings  descend, 

And  miseries  on  the  wicked  ; 

Those  who  obey  heaven  arc  preserved, 

And  those  who  disobey,  perish. 

The  great  God 

Is  a  spiritual  Father  ; 

All  things  whatt;vcr 

Depend  on  hira. 

The  great  God 

Is  the  Father  of  our  spirits  ; 

Those,  who  devoutly  serve  him, 

Will  obtain  blessings. 

Those,  who  obey  the  fathers  of  their  flesh. 

Will  enjoy  longevity ; 

Those  who  requite  their  parents 

Will  certainly  obtain  happiness. 

Do  not  practice  lewdness, 

Nor  any  uncleanness ; 

Do  not  tell  lies  ; 

Do  not  kill  and  slay  ; 

Do  not  steal ; 

Do  not  covet. 

The  great  God 

Will  strictly  carry  out  his  laws. 

Those,  who  obey  heaven's  commands, 

Will  enjoy  celestial  happiness  ; 

Those,  who  are  grateful  for  divine  favors. 

Will  receive  divine  support. 

Heaven  blesses  the  good. 


APPENDIX.  335 


And  curses  the  bad ; 

little  children, 

Maintain  correct  condact. 

The  correct  are  men, 

The  corrupt  arc  imps. 

Little  children, 

Seek  to  avoid  disgrace. 

God  loves  the  upright, 

And  he  hates  the  vicious  : 

Little  children, 

Be  careful  to  avoid  error. 

The  great  God 

Sees  everything. 

If  you  wish  to  enjoy  happiness, 

Refine  and  correct  yourselvea. 


ODE    FOR    YOUTH.* 
On  the  worship  of  God, 

Let  the  true  Spirit,  the  great  God, 
Be  honored  and  adored  by  all  nations  ; 
Let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world 
Unite  in  his  worship,  morning  and  evening. 
Above  and  below,  look  where  you  may, 
All  things  are  imbued  with  the  divine  favor. 

*  Each  line  containing  five  words,  nnd  each  verse  four  lines. 


336  .TAI-PING-WANG. 

At  the  beginning,  in  six  days, 

All  things  were  created,  perfect  and  complete. 

Whether  circumcised  or  uncircumcised, 

Who  is  not  produced  by  God  ? 

Reverently  praise  the  divine  favor, 

Aad  you  will  obtain  eternal  glory. 

On  reverence  far  Jesus. 

Jesus,  his  first-born  Son, 

Was  in  former  tinv5s  sent  by  God ; 

He  willingly  gave  his  life  to  redeem  us  from  sin. 

Of  a  truth  his  merits  are  prcfiminent. 

His  cross  was  hard  to  bear ; 

The  sorrowing  clouds  obscured  the  sun ; 

The  adorable  Son,  the  honored  of  heaven, 

Died  for  you,  the  children  of  men. 

After  his  resurrection  he  ascended  to  heaven  ; 

Resplendent  in  glory,  he  wields  authority  supreme. 

In  him  we  know  that  we  may  trust. 

To  secure  saU^ation  and  ascend  to  heaven. 

On  the  honor  due  to  parents. 

As  grain  is  stored  against  a  day  of  need, 

So  men  bring  up  children  to  tend  their  old  age. 

A  filial  son  begets  filial  children. 

The  recompense  here  is  truly  wonderful. 

Do  you  ask  how  this  our  body 

Is  to  attain  to  length  of  yeai*s  ? 

Keep  the  fifth  command,  we  say, 

And  honor  and  emolument  will  descend  upon  you. 


APPENDIX.  .  337 


On  the  court. 


The  imperial  court  is  an  awe-inspiring  spot, 
Let  those  about  it  dread  celestial  majesty  ; 
Life  and  death  emanate  from  heaven's  son, 
Let  every  oflBcer  avoid  disobedience. 

On  the  duties  of  the  sovereign. 

When  one  man  presides  over  the  government, 
All  nations  become  settled  and  tranquillized : 
When  the  sovereign  grasps  the  sceptre  of  power. 
Calumny  and  corruption  sink  and  disappear. 

On  the  duties  of  ministers. 

When  the  prince  is  upright,  ministers  are  true, 

When  the  sovereign  is  intelligent,  ministers  will  be  honest : 

E  and  Chow  are  models  worthy  of  imitation. 

They  acted  uprightly  and  aided  the  government. 

•  On  the  duties  of  families. 

The  members  of  one  family  being  intimately  related, 
They  should  live  in  joy  and  harmony. 
When  the  feeling  of  concord  unites  the  whole, 
Blessings  will  descend  upon  them  from  above. 

On  the  duties  of  a  father. 

When  the  main  beam  is  straight,  the  joists  will  be  regular. 

When  a  father  is  strict,  his  duty  will  be  fulfilled  ; 

Let  him  not  provoke  his  children  to  wratli, 

And  a  delightful  harmony  will  pervade  the  dwelling. 
15 


338  «    TAI-PINO-WNG. 

On  the  duties  of  a  mother. 

Ye  mothers,  beware  of  partiality, 
But  tenderly  instruct  your  children  in  virtue ; 
When  you  are  a  fit  example  to  your  daughters, 
The  happy  feeling  will  reach  to  the  clouds. 

On  the  duties  of  sons. 

Sons,  be  patterns  to  your  wives, 

Consider  obedience  to  parents  the  chief  duty  ; 

Do  not  listen  to  the  tattle  of  women. 

And  you  will  not  be  estranged  from  your  own  flesh. 

On  the  duties  of  daughters-in-law. 

Ye,  that  arc  espoused  into  other  families, 

Be  gentle  and  yielding,  and  your  duty  is  fulfilled  ; 

Do  not  quarrel  with  your  sistcrs-in-Iaw, 

And  thereby  vex  the  old  father  and  mother. 

On  the  duties  of  elder  brothers.         • 

Elder  brothers  !  instruct  your  juniors. 
Remember  well  your  common  parentage  ; 
Should  they  commit  a  trifling  fault. 
Bear  with  it,  and  treat  them  indulgently. 

On  the  duties  of  younger  brothers. 

Disparity  in  years  is  ordered  by  heaven. 
Duty  to  seniors  consists  in  respect ; 
When  younger  brothers  obey  heaven's  dictates, 
Happiness  and  honor  will  be  their  portion. 


APPENDIX.  «  339 

On  Oie  duties  of  elder  sisters. 

Elder  sisters,  instnict  your  younger  sisters, 

Study  improvement  and  fit  yourselves  for  heaven ; 

Should  you  occasionally  visit  your  former  homes, 

Get  the  little  ones  around  you  and  tell  them  what  is  right 

On  the  duties  of  younger  sisters. 

Girls,  obey  your  elder  brothers  and  sisters, 
Be  obliging  and  avoid  arrogance. 
Carefully  give  yourselves  to  self-improvement. 
And  mind  and  keep  the  ten  commandments. 

On  the  duties  of  husbands. 

Unbending  firmness  is  natural  to  the  man, 
Love  for  a  wife  should  be  qualified  by  prudence. 
And  should  the  lioness  roar 
Let  not  terror  fill  the  mind. 

On  the  duties  of  wives. 

Women,  be  obedient  to  your  three  male  relatives, 
And  do  not  disobey  your  lords  : 
When  hens  crow  in  the  morning. 
Sorrow  may  be  expected  in  the  family. 

On  the  duties  of  elder  brothers^  wives. 

What  is  the  duty  of  an  elder  brother's  wife  ? 

And  what  her  most  appropriate  deportment  ? 

Let  her  cheerfully  harmonize  with  younger  brothers*  wives, 

And  she  will  never  do  amiss. 


340  TAI-PINC^WANG. 

On  the  duties  of  younger  brothers^  tnves. 

Younger  brothers'  wives  should  respect  their  elder  brothers' 

wives, 
In  humility  honoring  their  elder  brothers  ; 
In  all  things  yielding  to  their  senior  sisters-in-law, 
"Which  will  result  in  harmony  superior  to  music. 

On  the  duties  of  the  male  sex. 

Let  every  man  have  his  own  partner, 
And  maintain  the  duties  of  the  human  relations. 
Firm  and  unbending,  his  duties  lie  from  home. 
But  he  should  avoid  such  things  as  cause  suspicion. 

On  the  duties  of  the  female  sex. 

The  duty  of  woman  is  to  maintain  chastity ; 
She  should  shun  proximity  to  the  other  sex  ; 
Sober  and  decorous,  she  should  keep  at  home  ; 
Thus  she  can  secure  happiness  and  felicity. 

On  contracting  marriages. 

Marriages  are  the  result  of  some  relation  in  a  former  state, 
The  disposal  of  which  rests  with  heaven  ; 
When  contracted,  affection  should  flow  in  a  continued  stream, 
And  the  association  should  be  uninterrupted. 

On  managing  the  heart. 

For  the  purpose  of  controlling  the  whole  body, 

God  has  given  to  man  an  intelligent  mind  ; 

When  the  heart  is  correct  it  becomes  the  true  r^ulator, 

To  which  the  senses  and  members  are  all  obedient. 


APPENDIX.  341 

On  managing  the  eyes. 

The  various  corruptions  first  delude  the  eye, 
But  if  the  eye  be  correct  all  evil  will  bo  avoided ; 
Let  the  pupil  of  the  eye  be  sternly  fixed, 
And  the  light  of  the  body  will  shine  up  to  heaven. 

On  managing  the  ear. 

Whatever  sounds  assail  my  ear, 

Let  me  listen  to  all  in  silence  ; 

Deaf  to  the  entrance  of  evil, 

Pervious  to  good,  in  order  to  be  eminently  intelligent. 

On  managing  the  mouth. 

The  tongue  is  a  prolific  source  of  strife, 

And  a  multitude  of  words  leads  to  mischief; 

Let  me  not  be  defiled  by  lying  and  corrupt  discourse, 

Careful  and  cautious,  let  reason  be  my  guide. 

On  managing  the  hand. 

To  cut  off  the  hand  whereby  we  are  dragged  to  evil. 
Appears  a  determination  worthy  of  high  praise. 
The  duty  of  the  hand  is  to  manifest  respect ; 
But  for  improper  objects  move  not  a  finger. 

On  managing  the  feet. 

Let  the  feet  walk  in  the  path  of  rectitude, 
And  ever  follow  it,  without  treading  awry ; 
For  the  countless  bye-paths  of  life 
Lead  only  to  mischief  in  the  end. 


342  TAI-PING-WANG. 

The  way  to  get  to  heaven. 

Honor  and  disgrace  come  from  a  man's  self ; 
Bat  men  should  exert  themselves 
To  keep  the  ten  commandments, 
And  they  will  enjoy  bliss  in  heaven. 


THE  IMPERIAL  DECLARATION  OF  TAI-PING* 
▲N  ODE  ON  THK  ORIQIN  OF  VIRTUE  AND  TUB  SAVING  OF  THE  WORLD. 

ITie  great  origin  of  virtue  is  from  heaven  : 

Let  us  now  reverently  allude  to  heaven's  ways,  in  order  to  arouse 

you  worthies. 
The  way  of  heaven  is  to  punish  the  abandoned  and  bless  the  good. 
Repent,  therefore,  without  delay,  and  get  the  first  start  in  the  race. 
Virtue  has  one  general  root  and  origin,  which  is  none  other  than 

correctness  : 
Successive  generations,  whether  early  or  late,  come  to  but  one 

conclusion. 

Aim  to  enjoy  celestial  bliss, 

Free  yourselves  from  wprldly  considerations. 

Be  not  dragged  away  by  the  host  of  common  feelings  ; 

Abandon  at  once  the  whole  mass  of  vicious  views. 

The  true  Spirit  who  opened  out  the  universe  is  God  alone. 


*  Thia  purports  to  be  from  the  pen  of  the  chief  of  the  insurrection, 
Hung-sia-tshaen,  himself. 


APPENDIX.  343 

He  makes  no  distiDction  between  noble  and  base  ;  he  most  be  re- 
verently adored. 

God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  is  the  one  common  parent ; 

From  of  old  it  has  been  said  that  the  world  consists  of  bat  one 
family. 

From  the  time  of  Pwan-koo,  down  to  the  three  dynasties, 

Both  princes  and  people  together  honored  one  heaven. 

Daring  that  period  the  sovereign  honored  God ; 

The  nobles,  scholars,  and  plebeians  all  did  the  same  : 

It  might  be  compared  to  children  among  men  honoring  their 
father ; 

When  both  well  and  ill-informed  followed  the  domestic  law. 

One  feeling  pervaded  heaven  and  men,  there  were  no  two  prin^ 
ciples ; 

And  monarchs  were  not  allowed  to  follow  oat  their  private  views. 

Let  God  be  worshiped, 
In  this  let  all  anite, 
Whether  west  or  north, 
Whether  south  or  east. 

Every  fibre  and  thread  depends  on  God, 

Every  drop  and  sop  comes  from  the  Heavenly  Majesty ; 

It  is  your  duty  every  morning  to  adore,  and  every  evening  to 

worship,  him  ; 
Reason  demands  that  you  should  praise  him  for  his  goodness  and 

sing  of  his  doings. 
Should  men  neglect  this  duty,  or  worship  any  other. 
Let  them  prostrate  themselves  without  end,  it  would  be  all  in  vain. 
Not  only  woald  it  be  without  benefit,  it  would  also  be  injurious. 
And  by  thus  deluding  your  own  mind,  you  would  incur  endless 

guilt. 
If  men  did  not  obliterate  their  natural  conscience. 


o 


344  TAI-PING-WANG. 

They  would  know  that  every  breath  they  draw  depeuds  on  heaven. 

He  created  the  elements  of  nature  and  all  material  things ; 

No  other  spiritual  being  interferes  with  his  arrangements. 

Let  us,  then,  depend  on  God  alone  for  assistance, 

And  never  ascribe  to  idols  the  honor  of  creation. 

If  any  should  say,  that  creation  depends  on  idols, 

We  would  just  inquire  how  things  went  on  before  they  were 

set  up? 
He  warms  us  by  his  sun,  he  moistens  us  by  his  rain, 
He  moves  the  thunder-bolt,  he  scatters  the  wind ; 
All  these  are  the  wondrous  operations  of  God  alone ; 
Those,  who  acknowledge  heaven's  favor,  will  obtain  a  glorioui 

reward. 

Do  not  worship  corrupt  spirits ; 
Act  like  honest  men  ; 
Heaven  abhors  that  which  is  wrong, 
And  loves  whatever  is  right. 

Of  all  wrong  things  lewdness  is  the  chief; 

When  men  thus  become  fiends,  hcaVen's  wrath  is  aroused. 

Those  who  debauch  others  debauch  themselves,  and  they  become 
fiends  together. 

Far  better  to  sing  of  the  foot-prints  of  the  gentle  deer,  and  to  cele- 
brate a  virtuous  posterity. 

Depraved  manners  overturn  men  ;  who,  under  such  circumstances, 
can  stand  ? 

The  only  way  is  to  reform  your  habits,  and  seek  renewal  of  mind. 

Yen-hwuy  loved  learning,  and  did  not  repeat  his  faults  ; 

His  four  cautions  against  improprieties  are  fit  to  arouse  the  mind. 

He,  who  can  reform  his  errors,  will  soon  be  free  from  errors ; 

These  are  the  instructions  which  the  ancients  repeatedly  inculcated, 

From  of  old  princes  and  teachers  had  no  other  duties, 


APPENDIX.  345 

Than  merely  to  proclaim  the  truth  in  order  to  arouse  the  people. 

From  of  old  good  government  had  no  other  end  in  view, 

Than  to  induce  men  by  means  of  right  doctrines  to  improve  their 

conduct. 
Let  all  who  possess  bodily  vigor  and  mental  intelligence, 
Avoid  outraging  the  common  virtues  and  confounding  the  human 

relations. 
Whoever  is  over-topped  by  heaven  and  stands  erect  on  this  earth, 
Should  instantly  return  to  the  honest,  and  revert  to  the  true. 

Let  him  resist  his  devilish  inclinations, 
And  cultivate  filial  feelings. 

The  second  kind  of  wrong  is  disobedience  to  parents ; 

This  is  a  great  ofiense  against  heaven,  therefore  reform  yourselves. 

The  lamb  kneels  to  reach  the  teat,  the  crow  returns  the  food  to  its 

dam; 
When  men  are  not  equal  to  brutes,  they  disgrace  their  origin. 
The  dweller  at  Leih-san  lamented,  and  all  nature  was  moved, 
The  birds  aided  him  in  weeding,  and  the  elephants  in  plowing, 

his  ground. 
Though  exalted  to  the  rank  of  emperor,  and  rich  in  the  possession 

of  the  four  seas, 
His  filial  piety  was  such  as  to  move  heaven — how  could  it  be 

viewed  lightly  ? 
Our  fathers,  they  have  produced  us ;  our  mothers,  they  have 

nursed  us; 
The  pains  and  anxieties  endured  in  bringing  us  up  are  not  to  be 

described  : 
Benevolence  like  this  reaches  to  the  azure  heavens,  it  is  diflBcult  to 

repay  it. 
How  can  we  by  all  our  filial  piety  fully  display  our  sincere 


15 


gratitude  I 


346  TAI-PING-WANG. 

The  man  of  true  filial  piety  regards  his  parents  all  his  life  long, 
He  discovers  their  wishes  when  not  expressed  by  sounds  or  gestures. 
In  obeying  your  parents  you  show  your  obedience  to  God ; 
By  adding  mould  to  your  own  roots,  you  cause  your  own  plant 

to  flourish  : 
In  disobeying  your  parents,  you  show  your  disobedience  to  God ; 
By  cutting  and  maiming  your  own  roots,  you  make  your  own  tree 

to  fall. 

Read  the  ode  on  the  luxuriant  southern- wood, 

And  expand  the  feeling  of  brotherhood  and  sympathy. 

The  third  kind  of  wrong  is  killing  and  maiming  people  ; 

To  slay  our  fellow-men  is  a  crime  of  the  deepest  dye. 

All  under  heaven  are  our  brethren  ; 

The  souls  of  us  all  come  alike  from  heaven. 

God  looks  upon  all  men  as  his  children  ; 

It  is  piteous,  therefore,  to  behold  men  destroying  one  another. 

Hence  it  was  that,  in  former  days,  men  delighted  not  in  murder  ; 

In  virtuous  feeling  they  agreed  with  heaven,  and  heaven  regarded 
them. 

In  cherishing  and  tranquillizing  the  four  quarters,  they  aided  the 
Supreme ; 

Therefore,  they  were  able  to  superintend  the  whole,  and  enjoyed 
the  protection  of  heaven. 

Yu,  of  the  Hea  dynasty,  wept  over  offenders ;  and  Wan  surrendered 
the  Loh  country ; 

Hence  heaven  accorded,  and  men  reverted,  to  him  without  he- 
sitation. 

Those,  who  take  delight  in  killing  people,  are  abandoned  robbers  ; 

How  can  they  expect  to  escape  misery  in  the  end  ? 

Pih-ke  and  Heang-yu,  after  all  their  murders,  were  themselves 
slain  : 


APPENDIX.  347 

As  for  Hwang-tsaou  and  Le-chin,  where  are  they  now  ? 

From  of  old,  those  who  have  killed  others,  have,  afterwards,  killed 
themselves ; 

Who  will  say  that  the  eyes  of  heaven  are  not  opened  wide  ? 

From  of  old,  those  who  have  saved  others,  have  thereby  saved 
themselves ; 

And  their  soals  have  been  taken  up  to  the  heavenly  courts. 

From  of  old,  those  who  have  benefited  others,  have  benefited  them- 
selves; 

Happiness  is  of  one's  own  seeking,  and  is  easily  obtained. 

From  of  old,  those  who  have  injured  others,  have  injured  them- 
selves ; 

Misery  is  of  one's  own  causing,  and  is  with  difficulty  avoided. 

Do  not  say  that  you  will  not  gratify  an  enemy,  and  reward  none 
but  the  virtuous ; 

Do  as  you  would  be  done  by,  and  you  will  always  do  right 

Follow  that  which  is  faithful  and  kind. 
Cultivate  that  which  is  modest  and  unassuming. 

The  fourth  kind  of  wrong  is  robbery  and  theft ; 

That  which  is  contrary  to  justice  and  benevolence,  do  not  practice. 

Those  who  form  cabals  and  act  disorderly,  heaven  will  not  protect. 

When  iniquities  are  full,  misery  will  surely  follow. 

A  good  man,  meeting  with  wealth,  does  not  disorderly  grasp  it : 

Yang-chin,  though  in  the  dusk  of  evening,  would  not  be  deluded 

by  a  bribe. 
Ewan-ning,  seeing  the  tendency  of  Hin's  regards,  cut  connection 

with  him. 
And  solitarily  roamed  the  hills  and  valleys,  without  changing  his 

mind. 
£  and  Tse,  resigning  the  throne,  willingly  died  of  hunger. 
And  Show-yang-hill  handed  down  their  names  to  posterity. 


348  TAI-PING-WANG. 

From  of  old  the  honest  and  good  have  cultivated  virtuous  prin- 
ciples ; 

Biches  and  honors  are  but  fleeting  clouds,  not  fit  to  be  depended 
on. 

If,  by  killing  one  innocent  person,  or  doing  one  act  of  unrighteous- 
ness, 

They  could  obtain  empire,  they  would  not  allow  themselves  to 
practice  it. 

If  men  would  but  reverently  fear  God, 

And  rest  contented  with  the  decree  of  heaven,  what  further  need 
of  anxiety  ? 

How  can  you  bear  to  kill  men,  and  plunder  their  goods? 

That  which  you  take  does  not,  after  all,  belong  to  you. 

In  trade,  principally  regard  rectitude ; 
In  learning,  be  careful  to  live  by  rule. 

The  fifth  kind  of  wrong  is  witchcraft  and  sorcery  ; 

Magic  arts  deceive  the  multitude,  and  are  a  breach  of  heaven's 
commands : 

Life  and  death,  sickness  and  calamity,  are  all  determined  by  hea- 
ven; 

Why,  then,  deceive  the  people  by  the  manufacture  of  charms  ? 

Incantations  to  procure  luck,  vows  to  fiends,  and  services  to  devils, 

Fastings  and  processions,  are  all  of  no  avail. 

From  of  old  it  has  been  found  difiBcult  to  avoid  death. 

How  can  any  by  intercessions  expect  to  escape  blame  ? 

From  of  old  wizards  and  necromancers. 

Having  involved  the  world  in  poverty,  have  been  denuded  of  hear 
ven's  help. 

The  devil's  agents,  having  done  service  to  devils,  have  brought  the 
devil  upon  them ; 

The  gates  of  hell  are  ever  open  to  receive  such  impious  wretches. 


APPENDIX.  349 

Wishing  to  increase  your  store,  you  only  add  to  your  sin  ; 
Why,  then,  do  you  not  repent,  and  early  seek  a  remedy. 

Let  magic  arts  be  avoided. 
Let  human  conduct  be  correct. 

The  sixth  kind  of  wrong  is  gambling  : 

The  vicious  gamester  conceals  the  dagger  with  which  he  stabs  hia 
victim ; 

Beware!  beware!  beware! 

The  practice  is  opposed  to  reason. 

There  are  proper  ways  of  getting  money,  and  success  is  a  matter  of 

fate; 
Do  not  by  deceit  and  fraud  destroy  honest  principles. 
If  it  be  decreed  you  will  get  it,  why  need  you  gamble  ? 
If  it  be  not  decreed,  although  you  gamble,  you  will  not  obtain  your 

wish. 
After  all,  riches  and  poverty  are  arranged  by  heaven, 
Follow,  then,  your  proper  avocations,  and  make  yourselves  easy 

about  the  rest. 
Confucius  and  Yen-tszc  made  themselves  happy  on  the  plainest 

&re  ; 
They  regarded  the  will  of  heaven,  were  content  with  poverty,  and 

enjoyed  happiness. 
The  life  of  man,  in  the  present  world,  is  like  a  midnight  dream  ; 
In  all  ages  men  have  exerted  themselves  to  do  their  duty. 

Oh,  you  multitudes ! 

Do  not  say  there  is  no  harm  in  it ; 

Every  kind  of  mischief  is  occasioned  by  gambling  ; 

Why  do  you,  my  noble  heroes,  involve  yourselves  in  stupefaction? 

The  getting  of  unrighteous  gain  is  like  quenching  one's  thirst  with 

poison ; 
Let  all  classes  of  people,  then,  conduct  themselves  with  patience. 


360  TAI-PING-WANG. 

The  more  you  gamble  the  poorer  you  become  ; 

Consider  the  matter  well,  and  reform  your  ways. 

There  are  those  who  drive  on  till  they  fall  into  a  snare  ; 

Getting  accustomed  to  opium,  they  become  mad  upon  it 

In  the  present  day  many  a  noble  son  of  Han 

Has  stabbed  himself  with  the  opium  dagger. 

With  regard  to  the  love  of  wine,  it  is  also  a  wrong  thmg ; 

Thriving  families  ought  to  guard  against  the  liquor  that  ruins 
households : 

Just  think  of  Kfteh  and  Chow,  who  presided  over  the  empire, 

And  included  the  hills  and  rivers  within  their  iron  rule,  yet  they 
perished  through  wine. 

Moreover,  there  are  the  geomancers  and  the  fortune-tellers. 

Who  attempt  to  deceive  God,  and  contract  endless  guilt. 

Riches  and  honors  rest  with  heaven,  life  and  death  are  sealed  by 
fate ; 

Wherefore,  then,  deceive  the  world,  with  the  view  of  enriching 
yourself? 

All  the  rest  of  the  wrong  things  are  too  numerous  to  mention  . 

In  judging  of  men  you  must  distinguish  the  minutiae  of  actions  : 

If  you  do  not  regard  small  matters,  you  will,  at  length,  spoil  great 
virtues  : 

Before  the  thick  ice  is  formed,  take  warning  by  the  hoar  frost. 

Yu  and  Tseih  were  diligent,  and  anxious  to  prevent  famine : 

Hence  the  one  became  emperor,  and  the  posterity  of  the  other  ob- 
tained rule. 

Wan,  of  the  Chow  dynasty,  and  Confucius  were  correct  in  their 
own  persons ; 

Hence  their  souls  were  permitted  to  go  up  and  down  in  the  pre- 
sence of  God. 

Words  of  truth 

Need  not  be  extended  ; 


APPENDIX.  351 

My  soul  having  been  allowed  to  ascend  to  heaven, 

My  words  are  true  and  real,  without  the  slightest  extravagance. 

My  parental  feelings  are  strong,  and  I  cannot  forget  you ; 

Words  are  inadequate  to  express  my  feelings,  therefore  I  have  thus 
enlarged. 

Those  who  accumulate  acts  of  goodness  will  have  plenty  of  bless- 
ings. 

Those  who  accumulate  acts  of  wickedness  will  have  overwhelming 
curses; 

Those  who  obey  heaven  will  be  preserved,  those  who  disobey 
perish. 

Honor  God  and  you  will  obtain  glory  and  honor. 

▲N  CDS  ON   COBRECTNESS. 

There  are  a  hundred  instances  of  correct  conduct : 
Let  us  sing  of  the  hundred  correct  things. 

The  truly  correct  enjoy  the  emoluments  of  office ; 

The  truly  correct  stand  in  awe  of  heaven's  decrees ; 

The  truly  correct  may  become  dukes  and  marquises ; 

The  truly  correct  practice  virtue  and  uprightness ; 

The  truly  correct  cause  fiends  to  submit  and  men  to  respect  them ; 

The  truly  correct  cause  the  people  to  be  tranquil,  and  the  country 

to  be  settled ; 
The  truly  correct  cause  corrupt  devils  to  go  far  away ; 
The  truly  correct  induce  the  mind  of  heaven  to  be  favorable. 
Yaou  and  Shun  lived  in  days  of  renovation  and  seasons  of  light, 
Because,  as  princes,  they  acted  correctly. 
Yu  and  Tseih,  either  in  person  or  in  their  posterity,  obtained  the 

empire. 
Because,  as  ministers,  they  acted  correctly. 
The  family  of  Chow  could  sing  the  ode  of  the  "  stag's  footsteps," 
Because  the  father  of  the  family  acted  correctly. 


362  TAI-PING-WANG. 

In  the  hall  of  Yu  (or  Shun),  Koo-sow  was  rendered  cheerftil, 
Because,  as  a  son,  (Shun)  acted  correctly. 
Wan,  of  the  Chow  dynasty,  won  the  hearts  of  800  nobles, 
Because  he  correctly  served  an  incorrect  (monarch). 
Confucius  rendered  3,000  disciples  submissive  to  instructions. 
Because  he,  by  correct  doctrines,  converted  those  who  were  incor- 
rect. 
T'hanj:^  and  Woo  found  heaven  compliant  and  the  people  submissive, 
Because  they  correctly  attacked  an  incorrect  (prince). 
In  the  wars  of  TSoo  and  Han,  Ileang  was  defeated,  and  Ixw  >'ic- 

torious, 
Because  the  latter,  by  correctness,  overcame  the  incorrect. 
Kfich  and  Chow  severally  lost  the  empire, 
Because,  in  the  marriage  relation,  they  acted  incorrectly. 
Chwang  and  Ling  were  killed  by  Tsuy  and  Ilea, 
Because  they  acted  incorrectly  towards  their  ministers. 
Scang,  the  duke  of  Tsc,  was  slain  in  the  midst  of  his  days, 
Because  he  acted  incorrectly  in  dishonoring  his  sister. 
Ping,  the  king  of  Tsoo,  was  flogged  after  his  death, 
IJecause  he  acted  incorrectly  in  marrying  his  daughter-in-law. 
The  house  of  Yang  held  the  Suy  dynasty  for  a  short  time  only, 
Because,  in  the  filial  relation,  they  acted  incorrectly. 
The  house  of  Ixi,  of  the  Tang  dynasty,  met  with  many  misfortunes, 
Because  they  acted  incorrectly  in  the  intercourse  of  the  sexes. 
Heen-tsung,  of  the  Tang  dynasty,  threw  the  empire  into  confusion. 
Because  he  acted  incorrectly  in  listening  to  his  wife. 
Teih-jin-kech  was  looked  up  to  by  every  one. 
Because  he  acted  correctly  in  resisting  female  influence. 
Woo-san-sze  was  put  to  death  by  common  consent. 
Because  he  acted  incorrectly  in  lusting  after  women. 

Oh,  the  hundred  fnstanccs  of  correct  conduct ! 
Let  us  sing  of  the  hundred  correct  things. 


APPENDIX. 


3o3 


Correctness  is  that  which  distinguishes  men  from  brutes, 

Correctness  is  tlie  quality  most  admired  in  all  ages, 

Correctness  is  the  quality  most  honored  in  heaven's  nobility, 

Correctness  is  the  original  nature  conferred  upon  mankind. 

Be  correct,  and  you  may  enjoy  the  happiness  of  heaven, 

Be  incorrect,  and  you  will  fall  into  the  region  of  hell ; 

Be  correct,  and  you  may  stnnd  erect  between  heaven  and  earth ; 

Be  correct,  and  you  may  silence  scoundrels  ; 

Be  correct,  and  you  may  control  flatterers ; 

Be  correct,  and  you  may  pass  through  barbarous  regions ; 

Be  correct,  and  you  may  root  out  the  violent  and  stubborn  ; 

When  the  prince  is  incorrect,  the  people  follow  their  own  inclina- 
tions; 

"When  the  prince  is  correct,  the  people  comply  with  his  commands  ; 

When  the  prince  is  incorrect,  his  relations  will  rebel  against  him ; 

When  the  prince  is  correct,  the  whole  empire  will  believe  in  him ; 

When  he  is  incorrect,  calamities  multiply  through  his  vices ; 

When  he  is  correct,  blessings  are  the  result  of  his  virtues  ; 

When  the  nobles  are  incorrect,  they  will  at  length  be  overthrown  ; 

When  the  rich  are  incorrect,  their  riches  will  soon  be  scattered ; 

When  men  are  incorrect,  then  they  will  not  be  esteemed  as  men  ; 

When  women  are  incorrect,  they  will  be  looked  upon  as  monsters ; 

When  a  family  is  incorrect,  there  will  be  abundance  of  diso- 
bedience ; 

When  a  kingdom  is  incorrect,  there  will  be  much  contention  ; 

In  all  time,  the  correct  have  been  able  to  manage  the  corrupt ; 

From  of  old,  the  corrupt  have  found  it  difficult  to  conquer  the 
correct ; 

From  one  correct  act,  happiness  and  emolument  will  daily  increase  ; 

From  one  correct  act,  misery  and  calamity  will  daily  diminish.* 

•  It  will  bo  perceived  that  tho  wholo  of  the  above  ode  is  a  play  upon 
the  wotd  "  correct,"  which,  in  its  positive  or  negative  form,  occurs  suty 
times. 


354  TAI-PING-WANG. 

AN    ESSAY   ON    THE    ORIGIN     OF     VIRTDE,    FOR    THE   AWAKENING    OP 
THE   AGE. 

From  of  old  it  is  seen  that  when  a  man's  happiness  is  great,  he 
possesses  an  enlarged  mind  ;  and  a  man  of  an  enlarged  mind  may 
be  considered  a  great  man  :  so,  also,  when  a  man's  happiness  is 
small,  he  possesses  a  narrow  mind,  and  a  man  of  a  narrow  mind 
may  bo  considered  a  little  man.  Thus  we  see  that  great  mountains 
do  not  despise  the  little  clods,  by  means  of  which  they  become  high ; 
and  large  rivers  do  not  overlook  the  small  rills,  by  means  of  which 
they  become  deep ;  so  also  a  monarch  does  not  disregard  the  com* 
mon  people  by  means  of  whom  he  completes  his  royal  estate.  All 
this  comes  from  the  possession  of  an  enlarged  mind.  In  the  pres- 
ent day,  however,  it  is  far  different,  and  also  hard  to  be  accounted 
for.  The  maxims  of  the  world  are  perverse  and  wicked,  while  the 
minds  of  men  are  destitute  of  feeling  :  their  likes  and  dislikes  are 
all  dictated  by  selfish  considerations  ;  hence  this  nation  dislikes  that 
nation,  and  that  nation  dislikes  this  nation  :  even  with  respect  to 
persons  dwelling  in  the  same  country,  the  inhabitants  of  one  pro- 
vince, prefecture,  or  district,  dislike  the  inhabitants  of  another  pro- 
vince, prefecture,  or  district :  while  the  inhabitants  of  that  province, 
prefecture,  or  district,  dislike  the  inhabitants  of  this  province,  pre- 
fecture, or  district :  moreover,  with  respect  to  persons  dwelling  in 
the  same  province,  prefecture,  or  district,  people  belonging  to  one 
village,  hamlet,  or  clan,  dislike  those  belonging  to  another  village, 
hamlet,  or  clan  ;  and  those  belonging  to  another  village,  hamlet,  or 
clan,  dislike  the  people  belonging  to  this  village,  hamlet,  or  clan. 
The  maxims  of  the  world  and  human  feelings  having  been  brought 
to  this  pass,  how  can  they  do  otherwise  than  insult,  encroach  upon, 
fight  and  kill  each  other,  and  thus  bring  one  another  to  ruin  ? 
This  arises  from  no  other  cause  than  the  possession  of  contracted 
views  and  a  contracted  mind.  When  men  of  one  nation  dislike  the 
people  of  another  nation,  and  when  men  of  that  nation- dislike 


APPENDIX.  356 

the  men  of  this  nation,  it  is  because  their  views  are  confined  to  one 
individual  nation,  and  they  are  ignorant  of  everything  beyond  their 
own  country ;  therefore  they  love  those  of  tlieir  own  nation,  and 
dislike  those  of  another  nation.  So  also,  when  men  of  one  province, 
prefecture,  or  district,  dislike  the  inhabitants  of  another  province, 
prefecture,  or  district,  and  when  the  inhabitants  of  that  province, 
prefecture,  or  district,  dislike  the  inhabitants  of  this  province,  pre- 
fecture, or  district,  it  is  because  their  views  are  confined  to  one 
particular  province,  prefecture,  or  district,  and  they  are  ignorant 
of  everything  beyond  that  province,  prefecture,  or  district;  hence 
it  is  that  they  love  those  of  the  same  province,  prefecture,  or  dis- 
trict with  themselves,  and  dislike  those  of  every  other  province, 
prefecture,  or  district  Further,  when  the  people  of  one  village, 
hamlet,  or  clan,  dislike  the  people  of  another  village,  hamlet,  or  clan, 
and  when  the  people  of  that  village,  hamlet,  or  clan,  dislike  the 
people  of  this  village,  hamlet,  or  clan,  it  is  because  their  views  are 
confined  to  one  particular  village,  hamlet,  or  clan,  and  they  are 
ignorant  of  everything  beyond  their  own  village,  hamlet,  or  clan, 
therefore,  they  love  those  of  their  own  village,  hamlet,  or  clan, 
and  dislike  those  of  every  other  village,  hamlet,  or  clan.  The 
likes  and  dislikes  of  the  men  of  the  world  being  of  this  character, 
how  is  it  that  their  views  are  not  enlarged,  and  their  minds  so  con- 
tracted ?  If  we  carry  our  thoughts  back  to  distant  ages,  to  the 
times  of  Yaou  and  Shun,  with  those  of  the  three  dynasties,  we  shall 
find  that,  in  those  days,  men  who  possessed  anything  regarded  those 
who  possessed  it  not ;  that  they  aided  each  other  in  calamity ;  that 
at  night  no  man  closed  his  doors,  and  no  man  picked  up  that  which 
was  dropped  on  the  road  ;  that  men  and  women  walked  on  different 
paths ;  and  that  in  promoting  men  to  office  virtue  was  chiefly  re- 
garded. Yaou  and  Shun  regretted  that  they  could  not  sufficiently 
supply  the  wants  of  men ;  what  diffijrencc  did  they  make  between  this 
land  and  that  land  ?    Yu  and  Tseih  were  anxious  lest  the  country 


356  TAI-PING-WANG. 

ehoald  be  involved  in  famine ;  what  difference  did  they  make  between 
this  people  and  that  people  ?  T'hang  and  Woo  attacked  the  violent, 
and  banished  the  oppressor ;  what  difference  did  they  make  be- 
tween one  kingdom  and  another  kingdom  ?  Confucius  and  Men- 
cius  wore  out  their  carriages  and  horses  (in  going  about  to  teach 
people) ;  what  difference  did  they  make  between  one  state  and  an- 
other state  ?  It  was  because  all  those  worthies  looked  upon  the 
inhabitants  of  the  whole  earth,  when  spoken  of  separately,  as  com- 
prising a  variety  of  kingdoms,  but,  when  spoken,  of  collectively  as 
constituting  but  one  family.  The  great  God  is  the  universal 
Father  of  all  men  throughout  the  world.  China,  which  is  near  to 
us,  is  governed  and  regulated  by  the  great  God  ;  foreign  nations, 
which  are  far  away,  are  under  the  same  rule.  Again,  foreign 
nations,  though  far  removed,  are  protected  and  cared  for  by  the 
great  God ;  and  China,  which  is  so  near,  is  under  the  same  grar 
cious  care.  There  are  many  men  in  the  world,  but  they  are  all 
our  brethren;  there  are  many  women  in  the  world,  but  they  are 
all  our  sisters  ;  why,  then,  should  we  retain  the  selfish  feeling  of  re- 
garding one  border  and  another  boundary  ?  And  why  should  we 
cherish  the  idea  of  my  swallowing  up  you,  and  you  overwhelming  me. 
Confucius  said,  "  In  carrying  out  great  principles,  let  the  empire 
be  considered  as  public  property ;  let  virtuous  and  capable  men  be 
selected  for  public  offices  ;  let  truth  be  the  subject  of  discourse,  and 
harmony  the  object  of  study  ;  and  then  men  will  not  only  regard 
their  parents  and  love  their  children,  but  will  induce  others  to  do 
the  same — causing  elderly  people  to  fulfill  their  days  with  delight, 
and  middle-aged  persons  to  be  of  some  use  in  the  world,  while  the 
young  grow  up  to  a  vigorous  manhood  ;  let  the  widows  and  desti- 
tute, orphans  and  solitary,  together  with  the  sick  and  disabled, 
all  have  some  means  of  support ;  let  males  have  their  various 
employments,  and  females  each  a  quiet  home.  Take  care  that  pro- 
perty be  not  wasted  on  the  ground,  still  less  that  it  be  stored  up 


APPENDIX.  357 

for  private  use ;  take  care  also  that  men's  energies  fail  not  to  be 
drawn  forth,  at  the  same  time  let  them  not  all  be  expended  on  a 
man's  self.  When  pablic  morals  are  thus  pure,  villainies  will  be 
shut  out  and  have  no  room  for  their  display,  neither  will  robberies 
and  rebellions  have  any  scope  for  development.  In  such  cir- 
cumstances you  may  leave  your  outer  doors  open.  This  is  what 
may  be  called  a  public-spirited  age."  But  now  how  can  such  a 
state  of  society  be  looked  for?  Nevertheless,  when  disorder  comes 
to  the  worst,  order  is  sometimes  elicited  ;  when  the  darkness  is  ex- 
trt  inc,  li;,'ht  is  found  to  spring  up — this  is  the  usual  course  of  Pro- 
vidence. Now  "  the  night  is  far  spent,  the  day  is  at  hand."  We 
only  wish  that  all  our  brethren  and  sisters  throughout  the  world 
would  rush  out  of  the  devil's  false  gate,  and  travel  along  God's 
true  road,  constantly  cherishing  a  dread  of  heaven's  majesty,  and 
earnestly  complying  with  the  Divine  commands  ;  that  they  would 
mutually  study  to  improve  themselves  and  the  world  around  them  ; 
that  they  would  severally  aim  at  correcting  themselves  and  then 
their  neighbors ;  that  they  would  together  present  themselves  as  a 
rock  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  and  strive  to  stem  the  boister- 
ous waves  as  they  are  rolling  along,  and  then  we  shall  soon  see  the 
world  united  as  one  family,  and  enjoying  universal  tranquillity. 
How  can  it  be  that  this  perverse  and  unfeeling  world  cannot,  in  a 
day,  be  transformed  into  an  honest  and  upright  world  ?  How  can  it 
be  that  this  insulting  and  encroaching,  fighting  and  killing  age  can- 
not, in  one  morning,  be  changed,  so  that  the  strong  no  more  oppress 
the  weak,  nor  the  many  overwhelm  the  few,  nor  the  cunning  de- 
lude the  simple,  nor  the  bold  annoy  the  fearful  ?  In  the  Book  of 
Diagrams,  it  is  said,  that  when  our  fellow-men  are  abroad  with  us 
in  the  wide  world,  liberality  is  engendered,  which  may  be  consid- 
ered an  enlargement  of  mind  ;  and  when  our  fellow-men  are  confined 
with  us  in  a  narrow  circle,  niggardliness  is  the  result,  which  may 
be  denominated  a  contracted  mind.     Now,  when  the  mind  is  en- 


368  TAI-PING-WANG. 

larged,  happiness  is  great ;  and  other  men's  minds  become  enlarged 
likewise  ;  so,  when  the  mind  is  contracted,  happiness  is  diminished, 
and  the  minds  of  others  become  contracted  likewise.  Oh,  all  of  you, 
who  have  blood  and  breath,  how  can  you  think  of  interfering  with 
the  harmony  of  heaven  and  earth,  and,  cherishing  views  like  those 
of  a  frog  at  the  bottom  of  a  well,  expose  yourselves  to  the  just  ridi- 
cule of  mankind  ? 

The  hymn  says — 
God  is  originally  our  universal  Father ; 
As  the  spring  to  the  fountain  and  the  root  to  the  tree,  so  is  he  the 

true  origin. 
Liberal  hearted,  he  treats  one  nation  like  another  ; 
Kindly  disposed,  he  regards  the  inhabitants  of  earth  and  heaven 

alike. 
"When  brutes  injure  each  other,  it  is  still  improper, 
But  when  neighbors  slay  one  another,  it  is  far  more  wicked  ; 
Heaven  having  produced  and  nourished  us  all,  we  should  be  har- 
monious ; 
Let  us,  then,  promote  each  other's  peace,  and  enjoy  tranquillity. 

FURTHER     EXHORTATIONS     OS    THE     ORIGIN     OF     VIRTUE,     FOR     THE 
AWAKENING   OF   THE   AGE. 

All  under  heaven  belong  to  one  family,  and  all  the  people  in  the 
world  are  brethren.  How  does  this  appear  ?  First,  with  regard 
to  their  bodies  :  every  man  has  his  parents  and  his  ancestry :  al- 
though their  abodes  are  distinguished  by  various  boundaries,  yet 
all  the  families  come  from  one  family,  and  that  one  family  comes  from 
one  ancestor ;  their  first  origin  is,  therefore,  the  same.  Secondly, 
as  it  regards  their  souls  :  whence  do  all  these  souls  come  from,  and 
whence  do  they  all  originate  ?  They  are  all  derived  from  the  one 
original  breath  of  the  great  God  ;  thus  one  root  spreads  out  into 
a  myriad  branches,  and  the  myriad  branches  are  all  referable  to 
one  root.    K'hung-keih  said,  "  That  which  Heaven's  decree  confer- 


APPENDIX.  369 

red  upon  man  may  be  termed  our  conmion  nature."  The  Book  of 
Odes  says,  "  Heaven  produced  all  classes  of  people.'*  The  Historic- 
al Classic  says,  "  Heaven  sent  down  the  inhabitants  of  this  lower 
world."  The  truth  so  luminously  expressed  in  these  documents  is 
far  from  incorrect  In  this  way  the  sages  considered  all  under 
heaven  as  one  family,  and  constantly  cherished  the  feeling  that  all 
people  are  our  brethren,  while  they  did  not,  for  one  moment,  overlook 
the  interests  of  the  whole  world.  In  latter  days,  however,  we  have 
heard  the  incorrect  statement,  that  the  king  of  Hades  determines 
the  period  of  life  and  death.  But  this  king  of  Hades  is  none  other 
than  the  old  serpent  the  devil,  who  transforms  himself  in  a  variety 
of  ways,  to  deceive  and  entrap  the  souls  of  men.  This  is  he  whom 
all  our  brethren  and  sisters,  throughout  the  world,  should  exert 
themselves  to  oppose  as  vigorously  as  possible  ;  but,  instead  of  so 
acting,  the  men  of  this  world  perversely  stretch  forth  their  necks 
towards  him :  how  dreadfully  do  they  by  this  means  forfeit  the  joys 
of  heaven,  and  covet  the  miseries  of  hell !  Now,  there  is  a  correct 
method  of  judging  regarding  principles.  Generally  speaking,  those 
which  prevail  in  modern  times,  and  were  unknown  to  all  antiquity, 
as  well  as  those  which  obtain  in  our  immediate  neighborhood,  and 
are  known  nowhere  else,  are  to  be  suspected  as  false  doctrines 
and  contracted  views.  According  to  the  lying  statements  of  these 
deceivers,  the  king  of  Hades  determines  the  period  of  life  and 
death :  but  we  beg  leave  to  ask,  do  any  of  the  classics  of  China 
contain  such  a  statement  ?  Certainly  not.  Do  any  of  the  sacred 
books  of  foreigners  contain  such  a  declaration  ?  By  no  means. 
If  not,  whence,  then,  did  it  originate  ?  It  comes  from  self  delusions 
of  the  perverse  disciples  of  Buddha  and  Taou,  who,  coveting  wealth 
and  greedy  of  gain,  delude  people  in  matters  of  which  they  are 
necessarily  ignorant,  in  order  to  profit  by  the  deception  ;  and  in- 
duce people  to  adopt  religious  ceremonies  and  processions,  in  order 
that  they  may  fatten  on  the  money  paid  for  them.    Moreover,  the 


360  TAI-PING-WANG. 

devil  having  entered  into  people's  minds,  they  invent  innumerable 
tales  and  lying  fabrications  to  deceive  and  destroy  their  fellow-men. 
Thus,  in  the  time  of  the  Tsin  dynasty,  some  deceivers  falsely  asserts 
ed  that,  in  the  eastern  ocean,  there  were  three  fairy  hills,  when  the 
emperor  sent  some  people  into  the  sea  to  search  for  them  :  from 
this  sprang  all  those  inventions  regarding  fairies  and  genii,  so  rife 
in  after-ages,  into  the  origin  of  which,  if  we  do  but  inquire, 
we  shall  find  that  they  all  came  from  these  inventions  of  the  Tsin 
dynasty :  verifying  the  saying,  that  if  you  err  at  first  but  a  hair's 
breadth,  successive  generations,  by  repeatedly  adopting  and  adding 
to  the  error,  and  obstinately  clinging  to  it,  without  relaxing  their 
grasp,  will  make  the  discrepancy  to  amount  to  a  thousand  miles  in 
width.  Thus,  also,  in  the  time  of  Kwang-woo,  of  the  Han  dynasty, 
some  deceivers  pretended  that  if  men  would  but  sacrifice  to  the- 
kitchen,  they  could  burn  red  cinnabar  into  yellow  gold :  Kwan- 
woo  believed  them,  and  sacrificed  accordingly  :  in  consequence  of 
which,  from  the  states  of  Yen  and  Tse,  a  parcel  of  flying  vaga- 
bonds came  along,  and  told  a  number  of  stories  about  genii  and 
hobgoblins.  Moreover,  in  latter  ages,  we  have  had  unprincipled 
men  falsely  declaring,  that  the  Dragon  of  the  Eastern  Sea  can  pro- 
duce rain  :  whereas  this  Dragon  of  the  Eastern  Sea  is  nothing  more 
than  a  transformation  of  the  king  of  Hades  :  while  rain  comes  down 
from  heaven,  as  everybody  can  see.  Mencius  said,  "  Heaven  abun- 
dantly collects  the  clouds,  and  causes  the  rain  to  descend  in  tor- 
rents ;  when  the  young  rice-plants  suddenly  shoot  up."  The  ode 
of  the  Chow  dynasty  says,  "  High  heaven  is  all  overspread  with 
clouds,  when  it  sends  down  snow  in  abundance,  followed  by  driz- 
zling rain,  which,  plentifully  irrigating  our  fields,  and  moistening 
them  sufficiently,  causes  the  various  kinds  of  grain  to  be  produced  for 
our  use."  On  referring  to  the  Old  Testament,  brought  fi-om  abroad, 
we  find  that,  in  the  days  of  Noah,  the  mighty  God  sent  down  a 
great  rain  for  forty  days  and   forty  nights,  on  account  of  the 


APPENDIX.  361 

iniquities  and  rebellions  of  mortals,  which  rain  produced  a  univer- 
sal deluge,  and  drowned  the  men  of  the  world.  Every  one  of  these 
statements  is  established  by  the  clearest  proofs,  which  are  open  to 
the  inspection  of  every  observer,  showing  that  rain  really  does  come 
down  from  heaven  :  and  yet,  men  of  this  world  will  believe  lying 
fables  and  unfounded  stories.  Now,  if,  with  respect  to  this  simple 
matter  of  rain,  people  will  allow  their  natural  perceptions  to  be 
obliterated  to  such  a  degree  as  to  disregard  heaven's  abundant 
favors,  how  much  more  with  regard  to  other  things  ?  As  in  the  pres- 
ent day,  the  unprincipled  priests  of  Buddha  not  only  falsely  pro- 
pagate stories  respecting  this  king  of  Hades,  but  publish  a  number 
of  lying  fables  in  a  work  called  the  Pearly  Record,  which  they 
palm  upon  the  world ;  and  men,  who  read  without  thinking,  are  fre- 
quently deceived  by  their  statements,  not  considering  that  the  deter- 
mining of  the  period  of  life  and  death  is  no  trifling  matter :  if  this 
be  no  trifling  matter,  it  would  surely  have  been  referred  to  in  the 
books  prepared  by  the  various  wise  men  of  both  Chinese  and  for- 
eign countries,  and,  having  been  recorded  in  their  publications, 
would  have  been  handed  down  to  subsequent  generations.  But 
now,  after  examining  the  books,  which  wise  men,  both  in  China 
and  foreign  lands,  have  penned  and  handed  down,  we  only  read  that 
heaven  produced  and  heaven  sent  down  the  people  of  this  lower 
world,  also,  that  the  great  God  protects  and  preserves  mankind, 
but  we  read  nothing  about  the  king  of  Hades  ;  we  only  read  that 
life  and  death  are  determined  by  fate,  which  fate  is  nothing  more 
than  the  decree  of  the  great  God.  with  not  a  syllable  about  the 
king  of  Hades:  we  merely  read  that  the  great  God  will  judge  all 
men,  and  secretly  protects  them,  while  he  presides  over  all  in  his 
majesty,  but  not  one  word  about  this  same  king  of  Hades.  Those, 
however,  who  read  without  reflection,  and  do  not  believe  in  the  ac- 
knowledged classics  and  sacred  books  prepared  both  by  ancients  and 

modems,  or  brought  from  far  and  near,  but  believe  in  the  unfound- 
16 


362  TAI-PING-WANG 

cd  assertions  of  unpriociplcd  men,  and  in  the  strange  statements 
that  ever  and  anon  get  up  amongst  us,  how  grossly  are  they  de- 
ceived ?  This  arises  from  no  other  cause  than  their  following  out 
the  common  feelings  of  aspiring  after  longevity,  and  seeking  to  avoid 
death ;  also  from  their  panting  after  good  fortune,  and  dreading  ill- 
luck.  The  deceivers,  availing  themselves  of  this  common  feeling 
in  order  to  influence  the  minds  of  the  generality,  make  them  an 
easy  prey  to  their  wiles.  Thus  erroneous  doctrines  once  introduced, 
the  people  of  the  world  greedily  believe  and  follow  them  :  having 
believed  and  followed  them  long,  their  perceptions  get  warped  ;  and 
when  their  perceptions  are  warped,  their  adherence  becomes  strong  ; 
and  when  their  adherence  is  strong,  they  are  slow  to  detect  any 
flaw  in  the  system ;  and,  being  slow  to  detect  any  flaw  in  their 
8}*stem,  they  find  the  utmost  difficulty  in  escaping  the  snare.  And 
although  the  great  Go  J  has  from  age  to  age  caused  wise  and  intel- 
ligent men  to  appear  among  them,  yet  there  are  none  that  can 
avoid  being  carried  away  with  the  current.  This  is  the  reason  why 
the  people  of  the  present  day  are  so  bewildered  and  ignorant  of  the 
great  God,  also,  so  stout-hearted  and  unaffected  by  the  fear  of  the 
great  God,  that  they  have  fallen  into  the  snare  of  the  devilish  ser- 
pent, the  king  of  Hades,  and  involved  themselves  in  hellish  ruin, 
without  being  aware  of  it.  What  is  more  to  be  lamented  is,  that, 
should  any  of  their  posterity  wish  to  get  some  knowledge  of  the 
truth  regarding  heaven,  earth,  and  man,  it  does  not  appear  from 
what  source  they  are  to  obtain  it.  When  men  become  fond  of  de- 
lusions, they  do  not  trace  things  to  their  first  principles,  nor  follow 
them  out  to  their  real  results,  but  listen  to  error  and  nothing  else. 
Taking  a  general  view  of  the  men  of  this  present  world,  I  consider 
that  though  they  amount  to  ffreat  multitudes,  they  are  all  created 
and  produced  by  the  great  God  ;  having  been  produced  by  God, 
they  are  also  supported  by  God  :  for  every  article  of  food  and 
clothing  they  must  depend  upon  the  great  Grod,  who  is  the  univer- 


APPENDIX.  363 

sal  Father  of  all  mankind.  Life  and  death,  happiness  and  misery, 
are  all  determined  by  him  ;  whatever  men  eat  or  wear  is  produced 
by  him.  When  I  look  up  to  heaven,  I  perceive  that  the  sun  and 
moon,  the  stars  and  planets,  the  thunder  and  rain,  the  wind  and 
clouds,  are  all  the  wondrous  eiTccts  of  his  mighty  power :  when  I 
survey  the  earth,  I  perceive  that  the  hills  and  fountains,  the  rivers 
and  lakes,  with  the  birds  and  beasts,  plants  and  fishes,  are  all  the 
marvelous  productions  of  his  mighty  energies  :  all  plainly  exposed 
to  view,  all  easy  of  discernment :  for  this  he  may  be  considered  the 
true  Spirit ;  for  this  every  man  throughout  the  world  ought  every 
morning  to  worship,  and  every  evening  to  adore,  him. 

Some  who  obstinately  retain  their  errors  say,  it  is  true  that  the 
great  God  onght  to  be  worshiped ;  but  there  must  be  some  who 
aid  the  great  God  in  protecting  mankind,  just  as  a  sovereign,  who, 
though  he  rules  the  country  gen(;rally,  yet  has  a  number  of  officers 
to  aid  him  in  the  government.  Such  people,  however,  do  not  con- 
sider, that  the  ministers  of  such  a  sovereign  are  all  appointed  by 
him  to  the  offices  they  severally  fill,  when  they  are  permitted  to 
aid  the  monarch  in  regulating  the  affairs  of  state.  But  with  re- 
spect to  the  wooden,  stone,  clay,  and  paper  images,  which  the  men 
of  this  world  set  up,  we  b^  to  inquire,  whether  the  great  God 
ever  declared  his  will  to  have  these  set  up  ?  Certainly  not.  ITiese 
all  belong  to  the  class  of  monstrosities  which  men,  whose  minds 
have  been  deluded  by  the  devil,  have  according  to  their  own  stupid 
views  manufactured  by  their  own  hands.  Moreover,  when  the  great 
God,  at  the  beginning,  made  heaven  and  earth,  land  and  sea,  men 
and  things,  in  six  days,  he  appointed  thousands  and  myriads  of 
angels,  in  heaven  above,  to  be  sent  and  employed  by  him  :  what 
need  is  there  that  he  should  obtain  the  aid  of  these  monstrosities, 
invented  by  mortals,  in  utter  defiance  of  his  high  authority  ?  By 
referring  to  the  Old  Testament  we  learn  that,  in  early  ages,  the 
great  God  descended  on  Mount  Sinai,  where  he  wrote  the  Ten 


364  TAI-PIXG-WANG. 

Comraandmentd  with  his  own  hand,  on  tables  of  stone,  and  gave 
them  to  Moses.  At  that  time  God  commanded  Moses,  saying,  I 
am  the  great  God,  the  supreme  God ;  you  men  of  the  world  must  on 
no  account  set  up  images,  resembling  anything  in  heaven  above  or 
in  earth  beneath,  to  bow  down  and  worship  them.  Now,  you 
people  of  the  world  set  up  images  of  all  sorts,  and  bow  down  to 
worship  them,  in  absolute  defiance  of  God's  express  command  ;  and 
yet  you  say  these  various  images  are  to  assist  the  great  God  in  pro- 
tecting mankind  ;  how  grossly  must  your  minds  have  been  deceived 
and  deluded  by  the  devil,  so  as  to  fall  into  such  an  error  as  this  ? 
Can  you  not  think  for  a  moment  that,  if  the  great  God  at  the  begin- 
ning could  in  six  da^-s  create  heaven  and  earth,  land  and  sea,  men 
and  things,  without  the  aid  of  any  one,  he  does  not  now  need  any 
assistance  in  protecting  mankind  ?  VTc  would  also  ask  you,  if  the 
great  (Jod,  at  the  beginning,  had  only  created  heaven,  and  not 
earth,  what  place  would  you  have  hatl  to  stand  on,  and  what  fields 
would  you  have  had  to  cultivate  ?  Certainly  none  whatever.  We 
would  further  ask  you,  when  you  had  been  made  the  recipients  of 
God's  favor,  in  making  the  heavens  and  the  earth  for  you,  if  he  had 
not  likewise  made  the  ground  to  yield  the  mulberry,  the  hemp,  the 
rice,  the  wheat,  the  millet,  and  the  pulse,  together  with  plants  and 
trees,  fire  and  water,  gold  and  iron ;  or  if  he  had  not  made  the 
water  to  produce  fishes  and  prawns,  the  air  to  contain  the  flying 
fowl,  and  the  hills  the  roaming  beast,  together  with  domestic 
animals  and  such  like,  what  would  your  bodies  have  had  to  wear, 
or  your  mouths  to  eat ;  what  materials  would  you  have  had  "where- 
with to  provide  your  breakfast  and  supper,  and  what  implements 
would  you  have  had  for  your  daily  use  ?  None  whatever.  Again 
we  ask,  though  the  great  God  has  in  his  goodness  provided  these 
various  things  in  rich  abundance,  yet  suppose  he  should  withhold 
the  sun  from  you,  and  not  let  it  shine  upon  you  for  a  year's  time  ; 
or.  if  he  should  withhold  the  rain,  and  not  let  it  moisten  vou  for  a 


APPENDIX.  365 

year's  time ;  or,  not  cause  it  to  thunder  for  a  whole  year,  to  drive 
away  evil  influences  from  you,  or,  not  cause  the  wind  to  blow  for 
the  same  period,  and  scatter  the  noxious  vapors  around  you — could 
you  men  of  the  world  get  in  your  crops  and  enjoy  tranquillity  ? 
Most  assuredly  not.  Again  we  would  ask  you,  though  God  of  his 
goodness  were  to  grant  you  fruitful  seasons  and  tranquil  times,  yet 
if  he  were  of  a  sudden  to  let  his  wrath  arise,  and  stop  your  breath, 
or  take  away  your  life,  could  you  then  speak  with  your  mouth,  or 
see  with  your  eyes,  or  hear  with  your  ears,  or  handle  with  your 
hands,  or  walk  with  your  feet,  or  plan  with  your  mind  ?  Nothing 
of  all  these  could  you  do.  Finally  we  would  ask,  whether  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  world  could,  for  one  hour,  or  one  minute,  exist 
without  the  favor  of  the  great  God  ?  Certainly  they  could  not  exist. 
Seeing,  then,  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  could  not  exist  for  one 
hour  or  one  moment  without  the  favor  of  the  great  God,  it  appears 
clear,  beyond  all  contradiction,  that  the  great  God  protects  and 
preserves  all  men.  And  if  it  be  so  clear  that  the  great  God  pro- 
tects all  men,  why  do  you,  forsaking  him,  set  up  your  idols,  and 
go  and  pray  to  them  for  protection,  for  food,  and  for  clothing  ? 

But  some  of  you  say.  Oh  my  idol  is  efficacious.  Now  it  is  very 
clear  that  all  your  blessings  come  from  the  grace  and  favor  of  the 
great  God,  while  you  erroneously  suppose  that  they  come  from  the 
favor  of  some  corrupt  devil.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  observe, 
that  when  such  corrupt  devils  dare  to  claim  for  themselves  the 
merit  due  to  heaven's  favor,  they  ought  to  be  eradicated  and  ex- 
terminated; but  when  you  men  thus  deaden  your  natural  con- 
science, outrage  heaven's  exalted  goodness,  and,  associating  with 
corrupt  devils,  involve  yourselves  in  the  guilt  of  rebelling  against 
the  Most  High,  how  stupidly  do  you  behave !  How  pitiable  is 
your  case !  It  is  very  evident  that  there  exists  a  true  Spirit  who 
is  most  honorable  and  exalted,  the  universal  Father  of  all  men 
throughout  the  world,  who  ought  to  be  worshiped  and  served 


366  TAI-PING-WAXG. 

every  morning  and  evening ;  him  you  do  not  worship,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  worship  the  foul  fiend  who  deceives  and  entangles  the 
souls  of  men !  How  stupid  is  this  !  It  is  very  evident  that  there 
exists  a  true  Spirit  who  is  most  efficacious  and  clearly  manifested, 
the  universal  Father  of  all  men  throughout  the  world,  who  says, 
"  ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you ;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find ;  knock,  and 
it  shall  be  opened  to  you  ;"  he  it  is  whom  you  ought,  morning  and 
evening,  to  worship  and  adore ;  him,  however,  you  do  not  worship, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  worship  a  variety  of  wooden,  stone,  clay,  and 
paper  images,  which  know  not,  nor  understand,  a  parcel  of  stupid, 
objects,  "  which  have  mouths  but  speak  not,  noses  but  smell  not, 
ears  but  hear  not,  hands  but  handle  not,  and  feet  but  walk  not." 
How  still  more  stupid  is  this ! 

However,  when  the  streams  arc  impure,  the  cause  is  to  be  traced 
to  the  impurity  of  the  fountain  ;  the  errors  of  subsequent  ages  are 
to  be  ascribed  to  the  carelessness  of  those  who  have  gone  before. 
Throughout  the  whole  world,  there  is  not  an  individual  who,  for  a 
single  moment,  is  not  the  recipient  of  God's  grace  and  favor ;  how 
is  it,  then,  that,  in  the  present  day,  there  are  so  few  who  know  and 
acknowledge  the  Divine  goodness — whence  does  this  evil  originate  ? 
On  examining  the  histoiy  of  China,  we  find  that  from  the  time  of 
Pwan-koo,  down  to  the  three  dynasties,  both  princes  and  peo- 
ple together  honored  and  worshiped  the  great  God.  Some 
innovation  on  this  practice,  however,  occurred  in  the  time  of 
Shaou-haou,  when  Kew-le  first  believed  in  corrupt  devils,  and 
extended  the  mischief  to  the  three  classes  of  Meaouites  who 
followed  his  bad  example.  In  the  time  of  the  three  dynasties, 
likewise,  there  was  occasionally  some  attention  paid  to  corrupt 
spirits,  and  the  error  was  fallen  into,  of  employing  men  to  repre- 
sent the  ghosts  of  the  departed,  when  funeral  rites  were  performed; 
still,  during  all  that  time,  both  princes  and  people  honored 
and  worshiped  the  great  God,  as  from  the  first.      When  the  Tsin 


APPENDIX.  367 

dynasty  arose,  a  dangerous  step  was  taken,  in  the  superstitious 
regard  paid  to  genii  and  hobgoblins ;  while  the  people  sacrificed 
to  Shun  and  Yu ;  and,  in  the  extremity  of  their  mad  perverse- 
ness,  sent  men  to  the  sea  to  look  for  the  genii.  The  great  God  is 
only  one,  and,  besides  him,  there  is  none  other ;  "Wan,  of  the  Han 
dynasty,  however,  thought  that  there  were  five,  and  erred  most 
^n^gioosly.  When  Woo,  of  the  Han  dynasty,  was  old,  he 
expressed  his  r^ret,  saying :  "  Formerly,  1  thought  that  there 
were  such  things  as  genii,  now  I  know  that  they  do  not  exist ;" 
but  his  former  practices  of  sacrificing  to  the  kitchen,  worshiping 
one  of  the  immortals  called  T'hae-yih,  and  sending  conjurers  into 
the  sea  to  look  for  the  genii,  were  retained  as  a  remnant  of 
the  corruptions  that  prevailed  under  the  Tsin  dynasty.  Besides 
these,  Seaen,  of  the  Han  dynasty,  sacrificed  to  Empress  lilarth,  and 
sent  men  to  seek  for  the  golden  horse  and  jasper  fowl.  Ming, 
of-  the  same  dynasty,  honored  the  priests  of  Buddha,  and  sent  men 
into  India,  to  procure  the  classics  of  that  religion.  Hwan,  of 
the  same  dynasty,  sacrificed  to  I^aou-tan.  Woo,  of  the  Lcang 
dynasty,  thrice  dedicated  himself  to  Buddha ;  and  Heen,  of 
the  Tang  dynasty,  went  out  once  to  meet  one  of  Buddha's  bones, 
until  Hwuy,  of  the  Sung  dynasty,  appeared,  who  changed  the 
appellation  of  the  great  God  (Shang-te),  and  designated  him 
Yuh-hwang-shang-te,  the  Pearly  Emperor  God,  dwelling  in 
the  golden  palace  of  the  luminous  heavens.  Now,  to  say  that 
be  dwelt  in  the  golden  palace  of  the  luminous  heavens,  was  not  so 
much  amiss  ;  but  to  call  him  the  Pearly  Emperor  God,  displayed  in 
truth  a  considerable  want  of  reverence  towards  him.  For  the 
great  God  being  the  universal  Father  of  all  creatures  under 
heaven,  no  one  can  be  permitted  to  change  his  venerable  name ! 
When  the  emperor  Hwuy  was  afterwards  taken  by  the  Tartars, 
and,  together  with  his  son  K'hin,  died  in  the  northern  desert,  was 
it  not  what  might  have  been  expected?    Viewing  the  matter 


568  TAI-PIXG-WAXG. 

from  beginning  to  end,  it  appears  that  Kew-le  and  the  emperor 
of  the  Tsin  dynasty  were  the  primo  off'nders  at  the  first ;  while 
Waji  and  Woo,  Seuen,  Ming,  and  Ilwan,  of  the  Ilan  dynasty, 
with  II<jen,  of  the  Tung  dyniLsty,  trod  in  their  footsteps  and  fol- 
lowed their  evil  example;  but  Ilwuy,  of  the  Sung  dynasty,  pro- 
ceeded still  further  in  changing  the  venerable  name  of  the  gi-eat 
God.  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at.  therefore,  that,  from  the  Sung 
dynasty,  down  to  the  present  day,  a  period  of  600  or  700  years, 
the  people  of  the  empire  should  have  been  so  exceedingly  stupe- 
fied, ignorant  of  the  great  Go«l,  and  utterly  destitute  of  his  fear. 
Men  are  the  most  noble  and  intelligent  of  all  visible  things  ;  but 
in  what  do  their  nobleness  and  intelligence  consist — so  much  as 
in  being  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  great  God  ?  Is  not  this 
nobility  ?  Is  not  this  intelligence  ?  But  all  those  images  of  wood 
and  stone,  mud  and  paper,  are  m^re  matter.  Men  are  more  noble 
than  mere  matter,  and  more  intelligent  than  mere  matter.  Why, 
then,  do  they  not  regard  themst^lves  as  noble,  instead  of  regarding 
mere  matter  as  noble?  Why  do  they  not  account  themselves  as 
intelligent,  instead  of  accounting  mere  matter  as  intelligent? 
During  the  last  thousand  or  himdred  years,  there  have  not  been 
wanting  men  who  were  not  infatuated  by  genii  and  fairies  ;  but 
when  we  come  to  inquire  into  their  characters,  we  find  that  they 
knew  but  one  thing,  and  did  not  know  another  ;  they  were  clear  on 
one  point,  but  dark  on  others  ;  so  that,  after  all,  they  did  not  enter- 
tain very  elevated  views,  and  see  through  matters  from  begmning 
to  end,  so  as  to  find  out  the  deceivableness  of  these  superhuman 
and  monstrous  appearances.  Thus,  the  emperor  Woo,  of  the 
northern  Chow  dynasty,  set  aside  the  religion  of  Buddha,  and 
demolished  improper  sacrifices.  At  the  instigation  of  Teih-jin- 
kwei,  the  emperor  of  the  Tang  dynasty  burned  upwards  of 
1.700  improper  temples.  Han  yu  reproved  the  emperor  for 
going  out  to  meet  a  bone  of  Buddha.    Hoo-teih,  during  the  Sung 


APPENDIX.  369 

dynasty,  burned  down  an  innumerable  quantity  of  improper 
temples  ;  and  Hae-suy,  of  the  Ming  dynasty,  reprobated  the  per- 
formance of  idolatrous  rites:  reviewing  all  these  instances,  we 
can  scarcely  say  that  there  were  not  some  possessed  of  discernment. 
But  whilst  they  destroyed,  burnt,  or  reprobated  certain  things, 
which  they  designated  as  improper  temples,  Buddhistic  relics,  and 
idolatrous  rites,  how  is  it  that  they  left  so  many,  which  they  did 
not  destroy,  burn,  and  reprobate  ?  how  is  it  that  they  did  not 
think,  that  if  the  objects  which  they  destroyed,  burned,  or  repro- 
bated, really  deserved  to  be  destroyed,  burned,  and  reprobated,  then 
the  objects  which  they  did  not  destroy,  burn,  and  reprobate, 
deserved  it  just  as  much  ?  The  fact  is  that,  besides  the  great  God, 
there  is  no  spirit  (god) — all  the  images  of  wood  and  stone,  mud 
and  paper,  which  have  been  set  up  in  the  world,  are  subsequent  in- 
ventions, and  the  work  of  men,  whoso  otherwise  intelligent  minds, 
having  been  deluded  by  the  devil,  and  utterly  perverted,  have  been 
inveigled  by  the  devilish  serpent,  the  king  of  Hades.  We  now  lay 
open  our  whole  minds  to  you,  and  place  before  you  the  following 
statements  :  How  are  mortals  to  become  acquainted  with  spirits  ? 
the  great  God  is  the  true  Spirit.  How  is  it,  then,  that  you  people 
go  and  bow  down  to  a  parcel  of  images,  and  thus  bring  the  devil 
upon  you  ?  Of  all  those  represented  by  the  images,  which  you  set 
up,  the  virtuous  and  good  must  long  ago  have  gone  to  heaven ;  but 
the  mass  consists  of  nameless  noxious  inventions,  such  as  those 
thought  to  preside  over  the  four  quarters  of  the  world,  with  the 
satellites  and  myrmidons  of  that  envious  devilish  serpent,  the  king 
of  Hades.  From  the  Tsin  and  Han  dynasties,  down  to  the  pres- 
ent day,  including  a  space  of  one  or  two  thousand  years,  how 
many  souls  of  men  have  been  injured  and  destroyed  by  this  king 
of  Hades.  The  proverb  says,  as  pulse  jelly  is  originally  water,  so 
this  king  of  Hades  is  originally  a  devil.    Why  do  you  not  awake  ? 

If  you  do  not  awake  now,  it  will  soon  be  too  late.    Hear  these 
16» 


370  TAI-PING-WANG. 

our  sincere  words.  How  are  you,  men,  to  become  acquainted  witli 
God  (Te)  ?  The  great  Gfxl,  he  is  God  (Te).  The  monarchs  of 
this  world  may  be  called  kirij^s,  and  that  is  all  ;  but  they  cannot 
be  permitted  to  assume  a  single  atom  beyond  this.  Even  the 
Saviour  Jesus,  the  first-born  son  of  God,  is  only  called  our  Lord. 
In  heaven  above  and  earth  beneath,  as  well  as  among  men,  none 
can  be  considereil  greater  than  Jesus ;  and  yet  Jesus  was  not  call- 
ed God  (Te) ;  who,  then,  is  he  that  dares  to  assume  the  designation 
of  God  (Te)  ?  we  should  soon  see  him,  for  his  blasphemous  assump- 
tions, bringing  down  upon  himself  the  eternal  punishment  of  hell. 
Instead  of  incurring  such  a  miserable  recompense,  let  me  exhort 
you  to  worship  the  gre;it  God,  and  then  you  will  become  his  sons 
and  daughters ;  in  this  life  you  will  experience  his  favor,  and  after 
death  your  souls  will  ascend  to  heaven  to  enjoy  endless  happiness — 
how  blissful,  how  glorious,  would  that  be!  But  if  you  give  your- 
selves over  to  the  belief  of  all  kinds  of  depraved  spirits,  you  will 
then  become  the  servjints  of  the  devil  ;  while  you  live,  you  will  be 
entangled  with  his  wiles,  and  after  death  you  will  be  seized  by 
him  and  suSIt  eternal  misery  in  hell  ;  how  shameful,  and  how  mis- 
erable would  that  be  I  Reflect  now,  which  of  these  is  to  be  pre- 
ferred. Why  do  you  not,  our  brethren  and  sisters  throughout  the 
world,  awake  ?  If  you  still  remain  unimpressed,  you  must  be 
truly  base-born  and  deluded  by  the  evil  one  ;  having  happiness 
within  your  reach  and  unable  to  enjoy  it,  "When  there  is  evident- 
ly such  a  glorious  and  delightful  state  of  happiness  to  be  enjoyed 
forever  in  heaven,  for  thousands  and  myriads  of  years,  you  do  not 
wish  to  enjoy  it ;  but  willingly  transgress  the  commands  of  hea- 
ven, and  join  with  the  evil  one  in  rebelling  against  the  Most  High, 
until  you  bring  down  upon  yourselves  the  righteous  indignation 
of  the  great  God,  who  will  condemn  you  to  suffer  eternal  misery 
in  the  lowest  hell.  How  pitiable  I — how  lamentable ! — Dr. 
Medhurst's  Translation, 


POSTSCRIPT 


From  time  to  time,  during  the  progress  of  the  iusurrection,  false 
reports  of  the  death  of  Hung-siu-tshuen  have  been  more  or  lesa 
widely  circulated.  And  we  observe  that  this  rumor  has  recently 
been  started  again  by  the  North  Chirui  Mail,  October  4th,  1856, 
which  further  states,  that  his  son  has  succeeded  to  the  Nanking 
throne — Yang,  the  eastern  prince,  acting  as  regent  during  his  mi- 
nority. Like  similar  reports  which  have  preceded  it,  thi's  one, 
also,  must  be  considered  as  greatly  in  need  of  confirmation  before  it 
can  be  credited.  In  fact,  in  China,  the  death  of  the  Emperor,  or  his 
mortal  illness«  is  noised  abroad  about  as  often  as  in  the  west  is  the 
phpical  breaking  down  of  the  Emperor  of  the  French,  or  the  failure 
of  some  big  '*  bull"  or  "  bear"  on  the  stock  exchange  of  London  or 
New  York.  By  the  celestials  this  is  considered  as  the  very  best 
of  all  tricks  in  either  trade  or  politics ;  they,  in  this  respect,  going 
to  the  opposite  extreme  of  the  inhabitants  of  Siam,  who  make  the 
greatest  possible  mystery  of  the  depth  of  their  Monarch,  or  of  the 
White  Elephant,  and  stick  with  very  extraordinary  pertinacity  to 
the  dogma,  that  the  king  never  dies.  Hence,  in  Siam,  the  foreigner 
never  can  find  out  when  the  chief  of  the  state  has  been  taken  away ; 
whereas,  in  China,  he  is  told  forty  times  in  the  year,  the  Emperor 
is  dead  I 


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